52501 ZIP Code — Ottumwa, IA

Wapello County, Iowa

ZIP code 52501 is located in Ottumwa, Iowa, within Wapello County. It covers approximately 225.34 square miles and serves a population of 30,535 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 641.

About ZIP code 52501

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 $101,100. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 64%.

Median household income is $55,801. Poverty affects 18% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 18% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 35% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is production, transportation, and material moving, with manufacturing as the leading industry. The average commute of 19 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 52501 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

30,535

population

225.34

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

52501 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 52501

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 52501. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Ottumwa	Acceptable
Ottumwa	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

52530 Agency (6.3 mi) 52548 Chillicothe (7.3 mi) 52566 Kirkville (9.5 mi) 52536 Blakesburg (10.6 mi) 52554 Eldon (11.6 mi) 52563 Hedrick (11.8 mi) 52543 Cedar (13.9 mi) 52561 Fremont (14 mi) 52533 Batavia (14.2 mi) 52560 Floris (15.1 mi) 52553 Eddyville (15.6 mi) 52552 Drakesville (15.9 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	30,535
Population density	136 / sq mi
State FIPS	19
County FIPS	179

Geography
Land area	225.34 sq mi
Water area	2.64 sq mi
Latitude	41.0306
Longitude	-92.4117
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	641

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	54.3%	53.7%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	28.8%	29.0%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	14.9%	15.6%	21.5%
Over $200k	1.9%	1.6%	5.0%

Demographics & statistics

30,535

Population

136

People per sq mi

38.5

Median age

$55,801

Median household income

$30,072

Per capita income

$101,100

Median home value

$919

Median monthly rent

63.5%

Home ownership

18.2%

Poverty rate

4.4%

Unemployment

9,110

Housing units

19.4%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

997

Under 5

977

878

5–9

860

1,102

10–14

1,081

1,060

15–19

1,039

889

20–24

872

2,132

25–34

2,090

1,738

35–44

1,703

1,981

45–54

1,942

766

55–59

750

1,252

60–64

1,227

1,514

65–74

1,485

700

75–84

687

411

85+

402

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	7,174	23.5%
18 and over	23,361	76.5%
65 and over	5,199	17.0%
Median age	38.5 years

Race & ethnicity

White 79.2%

Hispanic or Latino 5.7%

Two or more races 5.1%

Black or African American 3.5%

Other race 3%

Asian 1.6%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.6%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%

Group	Count	%
White	25,650	79.2%
Hispanic or Latino	1,859	5.7%
Two or more races	1,647	5.1%
Black or African American	1,128	3.5%
Other race	976	3%
Asian	527	1.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	519	1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	88	0.3%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	54.3%	53.7%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	28.8%	29.0%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	14.9%	15.6%	21.5%
Over $200k	1.9%	1.6%	5.0%

Under $10k 6.7%

$10k–$15k 5.4%

$15k–$25k 11.2%

$25k–$35k 7.6%

$35k–$50k 13.4%

$50k–$75k 19.1%

$75k–$100k 12.1%

$100k–$150k 14.2%

$150k–$200k 7.5%

$200k+ 2.8%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	6.7%
$10k–$15k	5.4%
$15k–$25k	11.2%
$25k–$35k	7.6%
$35k–$50k	13.4%
$50k–$75k	19.1%
$75k–$100k	12.1%
$100k–$150k	14.2%
$150k–$200k	7.5%
$200k+	2.8%
Median income	$55,801

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 15.3%

$50k–$100k 34.3%

$100k–$150k 16.9%

$150k–$200k 12.0%

$200k–$300k 12.7%

$300k–$500k 6.3%

$500k–$1M 2.1%

$1M+ 0.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$101,100
Median rent / month	$919
Owner occupied	63.5%
Renter occupied	36.5%
Vacant	10.1%
Single-family detached	78.1%
Large apartment buildings	4.0%
Mobile homes	3.8%
Median rooms	5.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.53

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.2%
2010–2019	0.6%
2000–2009	5.1%
1990–1999	6.4%
1980–1989	6.8%
1970–1979	14.1%
1960–1969	9.5%
1950–1959	17.5%
1940–1949	10.8%
1939 or earlier	29.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.8%
1 bedroom	10.3%
2 bedrooms	36.9%
3 bedrooms	36.2%
4 bedrooms	10.6%
5+ bedrooms	3.3%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	7.4%
1 vehicle	31.9%
2 vehicles	36.0%
3 or more	24.7%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	68.0%
Electricity	20.5%
Propane / LP gas	7.9%
Wood	1.6%
No fuel used	1.4%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	5,502	45.1%
Cohabiting couple	915	7.5%
Male householder, no spouse	2,538	20.8%
Female householder, no spouse	3,247	26.6%
Households with children under 18	4,078	33.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	3,959	32.4%
Average household size	2.44

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	37.9%	27.5%
Married	47.1%	47.3%
Separated	1.3%	1.5%
Widowed	4.1%	9.2%
Divorced	9.5%	14.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 5.4%

Some HS, no diploma 7.6%

HS graduate 36.7%

Some college, no degree 19.3%

Associate's degree 11.7%

Bachelor's degree 11.7%

Graduate / professional 7.6%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	87.0%
Bachelor's or higher	19.4%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	559	7.9%
Kindergarten	308	4.4%
Elementary school	3,010	42.8%
High school	1,639	23.3%
College / grad school	1,518	21.6%

Employment

Industry of employment

Manufacturing 25.9%

Education & healthcare 22.2%

Retail trade 14.1%

Arts, food & hospitality 6.5%

Transportation & utilities 5.5%

Construction 5.3%

Finance & real estate 4.6%

Professional & management 4.4%

Other services 3.9%

Agriculture & mining 2.2%

Public administration 2.2%

Wholesale trade 2.1%

Information 1.0%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	27.5%
Service	15.0%
Sales & office	18.9%
Natural resources & construction	10.0%
Production & transportation	28.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	82.6%
Government	13.1%
Self-employed	4.1%
Unpaid family workers	0.2%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	80.7%
Carpool	11.8%
Public transit	0.8%
Walk	1.6%
Work from home	4.0%
Other means	1.1%
Avg commute (minutes)	18.8

Poverty

All people 18.2%

Under 18 years 24.9%

18 and over 16.1%

Married-couple families 6.1%

Female-led households 32.9%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	34.5%
Retirement income	22.2%
Supplemental Security	6.8%
Cash public assistance	3.9%
Food stamps / SNAP	18.3%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	38.8%
High blood pressure	32.7%
High cholesterol	33.8%
Diabetes	11.6%
Heart disease	7.4%
Stroke	3.5%
Asthma	9.8%
Arthritis	25.9%
Kidney disease	3.3%
Pulmonary disease	8.1%
Cancer	7.1%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	19.7%
Binge drinking	20.4%
No physical activity	27.3%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	31.8%
Depression	18.2%
Fair or poor health	16.3%
Poor mental health	14.5%
Poor physical health	11.3%
No health insurance	12.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	73.8%
Visited dentist	62.2%
Cholesterol screening	86.2%
Teeth loss	16.7%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,558	6.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	15.4%
Under 18	3.2%
18–64 years	12.5%
65 and over	43.2%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	64.5%
Public insurance	43.6%
No insurance	7.2%
Uninsured under 19	4.4%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	28,561	93.5%
Spanish	1,847	6.5%
Other Indo-European	1,109	3.9%
Asian & Pacific Islander	139	0.5%
Other languages	357	1.2%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	27,567	90.3%
Born in same state	27,469	90.0%
Born in different state	22,161	72.6%
Foreign born	98	0.3%
Naturalized citizen	2,968	9.7%
Not a US citizen	1,236	41.6%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	3,597	11.8%
Italian	2,989	9.8%
Arab	1,918	6.3%
English	1,132	3.7%
Polish	323	1.1%

Ancestry	Count	%
Dutch	126	0.4%
German	90	0.3%
Irish	24	0.1%
Norwegian	8	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	40.0%
Internet access	90.7%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 52501

What city is ZIP code 52501 in?

ZIP code 52501 is primarily assigned to Ottumwa, Iowa.

What county is ZIP code 52501 in?

ZIP code 52501 falls within Wapello County, Iowa.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 52501?

18% of residents in ZIP code 52501 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 52501?

The median home value in ZIP code 52501 is $101,100.

What is the population of ZIP code 52501?

ZIP code 52501 has an estimated population of 30,535 residents, with a density of 136 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 52501?

The median household income in ZIP code 52501 is $55,801, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 52501 in?

ZIP code 52501 observes the CST timezone.