51038 ZIP Code — Merrill, IA

Plymouth County, Iowa

ZIP code 51038 is located in Merrill, Iowa, within Plymouth County. It covers approximately 89.32 square miles and serves a population of 1,763 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 712.

About ZIP code 51038

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $171,900. Owner-occupancy is high at 85%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $90,625. The poverty rate of 4% is below the national average.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 21 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 19% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Overall, ZIP code 51038 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce and high homeownership.

1,763

population

89.32

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

51038 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 51038

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 51038. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Merrill	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

51024 Hinton (6.1 mi) 51031 Le Mars (6.6 mi) 51108 Sioux City (11.1 mi) 51001 Akron (12.6 mi) 51062 Westfield (12.8 mi) 51104 Sioux City (13.6 mi) 51105 Sioux City (14.3 mi) 51109 Sioux City (14.7 mi) 51030 Lawton (15 mi) 51103 Sioux City (15.5 mi) 51028 Kingsley (16.1 mi) 51101 Sioux City (16.2 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	1,763
Population density	20 / sq mi
State FIPS	19
County FIPS	149

Geography
Land area	89.32 sq mi
Water area	0.02 sq mi
Latitude	42.7067
Longitude	-96.2726
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	712

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	31.7%	34.9%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	36.5%	35.2%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	31.0%	25.5%	21.5%
Over $200k	0.8%	4.3%	5.0%

Demographics & statistics

1,763

Population

People per sq mi

36.8

Median age

$90,625

Median household income

$34,036

Per capita income

$171,900

Median home value

$660

Median monthly rent

84.7%

Home ownership

4.0%

Poverty rate

2.9%

Unemployment

606

Housing units

18.9%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

101

25–34

132

35–44

109

110

45–54

55–59

115

60–64

65–74

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	505	28.6%
18 and over	1,258	71.4%
65 and over	210	11.9%
Median age	36.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 91.4%

Two or more races 1.9%

American Indian / Alaska Native 1.7%

Asian 1.6%

Hispanic or Latino 1.4%

Other race 1.4%

Black or African American 0.6%

Group	Count	%
White	1,635	91.4%
Two or more races	34	1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	30	1.7%
Asian	28	1.6%
Hispanic or Latino	25	1.4%
Other race	25	1.4%
Black or African American	11	0.6%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	31.7%	34.9%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	36.5%	35.2%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	31.0%	25.5%	21.5%
Over $200k	0.8%	4.3%	5.0%

Under $10k 0.6%

$10k–$15k 2.5%

$15k–$25k 7.6%

$25k–$35k 1.8%

$35k–$50k 12.3%

$50k–$75k 17.1%

$75k–$100k 16.6%

$100k–$150k 28.2%

$150k–$200k 9.1%

$200k+ 4.2%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	0.6%
$10k–$15k	2.5%
$15k–$25k	7.6%
$25k–$35k	1.8%
$35k–$50k	12.3%
$50k–$75k	17.1%
$75k–$100k	16.6%
$100k–$150k	28.2%
$150k–$200k	9.1%
$200k+	4.2%
Median income	$90,625

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 8.0%

$50k–$100k 12.2%

$100k–$150k 14.2%

$150k–$200k 24.5%

$200k–$300k 19.3%

$300k–$500k 21.1%

$500k–$1M 0.7%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$171,900
Median rent / month	$660
Owner occupied	84.7%
Renter occupied	15.3%
Vacant	7.9%
Single-family detached	89.2%
Large apartment buildings	0.4%
Mobile homes	4.7%
Median rooms	6.8
Avg household size (owned)	2.90

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	12.5%
2000–2009	6.5%
1990–1999	6.0%
1980–1989	2.8%
1970–1979	7.7%
1960–1969	14.3%
1950–1959	7.8%
1940–1949	7.5%
1939 or earlier	34.9%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	1.8%
2 bedrooms	20.7%
3 bedrooms	52.3%
4 bedrooms	18.9%
5+ bedrooms	6.2%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	2.6%
1 vehicle	8.6%
2 vehicles	48.7%
3 or more	40.1%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	43.0%
Electricity	28.7%
Propane / LP gas	24.0%
Wood	1.5%
No fuel used	0.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	455	70.1%
Cohabiting couple	53	8.2%
Male householder, no spouse	83	12.8%
Female householder, no spouse	58	8.9%
Households with children under 18	264	40.7%
Households with seniors (65+)	148	22.8%
Average household size	2.72

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	23.8%	18.1%
Married	67.4%	70.7%
Separated	0.0%	1.8%
Widowed	0.6%	5.1%
Divorced	8.2%	4.3%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.3%

Some HS, no diploma 5.8%

HS graduate 32.8%

Some college, no degree 21.0%

Associate's degree 19.2%

Bachelor's degree 16.2%

Graduate / professional 2.8%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	91.9%
Bachelor's or higher	18.9%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	37	8.0%
Kindergarten	50	10.9%
Elementary school	222	48.3%
High school	85	18.5%
College / grad school	66	14.3%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 22.0%

Manufacturing 21.7%

Transportation & utilities 11.0%

Retail trade 8.4%

Arts, food & hospitality 8.2%

Agriculture & mining 6.2%

Public administration 4.9%

Professional & management 4.4%

Finance & real estate 4.0%

Construction 3.4%

Information 3.4%

Other services 1.3%

Wholesale trade 1.0%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	35.1%
Service	19.3%
Sales & office	17.8%
Natural resources & construction	9.8%
Production & transportation	18.0%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	82.7%
Government	12.5%
Self-employed	4.8%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	89.7%
Carpool	3.8%
Public transit	1.9%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	4.6%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	20.8

Poverty

All people 4.0%

Under 18 years 2.2%

18 and over 4.7%

Married-couple families 1.1%

Female-led households 18.8%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	25.9%
Retirement income	19.3%
Supplemental Security	3.1%
Cash public assistance	0.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	7.2%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	33.9%
High blood pressure	33.8%
High cholesterol	31.5%
Diabetes	9.6%
Heart disease	6.7%
Stroke	3.0%
Asthma	9.1%
Arthritis	23.8%
Kidney disease	2.8%
Pulmonary disease	6.6%
Cancer	7.3%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	17.3%
Binge drinking	20.8%
No physical activity	23.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	28.2%
Depression	17.2%
Fair or poor health	12.1%
Poor mental health	12.8%
Poor physical health	9.3%
No health insurance	8.8%
Visited doctor (checkup)	74.8%
Visited dentist	69.8%
Cholesterol screening	89.2%
Teeth loss	12.2%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	59	4.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	10.2%
Under 18	4.0%
18–64 years	10.0%
65 and over	25.7%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	79.1%
Public insurance	27.9%
No insurance	4.0%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,605	91.0%
Spanish	54	3.4%
Other Indo-European	49	3.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,710	97.0%
Born in same state	1,708	96.9%
Born in different state	1,330	75.4%
Foreign born	2	0.1%
Naturalized citizen	53	3.0%
Not a US citizen	3	5.7%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	310	17.6%
French	121	6.9%
English	85	4.8%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	67	3.8%
Arab	65	3.7%
Dutch	39	2.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	36.8%
Internet access	95.4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 51038

What city is ZIP code 51038 in?

ZIP code 51038 is primarily assigned to Merrill, Iowa.

What county is ZIP code 51038 in?

ZIP code 51038 falls within Plymouth County, Iowa.

Is ZIP code 51038 mostly owner-occupied?

85% of occupied units in ZIP code 51038 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 51038?

The median home value in ZIP code 51038 is $171,900.

What is the population of ZIP code 51038?

ZIP code 51038 has an estimated population of 1,763 residents, with a density of 20 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 51038?

The median household income in ZIP code 51038 is $90,625, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 51038 in?

ZIP code 51038 observes the CST timezone.