51248 ZIP Code — Sanborn, IA

Obrien County, Iowa

ZIP code 51248 is located in Sanborn, Iowa, within Obrien County. It covers approximately 79.15 square miles and serves a population of 1,712 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 712.

About ZIP code 51248

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 $130,000. Owner-occupancy is high at 78%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $56,691. 42% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

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.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 22% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 51248 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,712
population
79.15
sq mi land
Standard
ZIP type
Central (CT)
timezone
51248 ZIP code map
Cities in ZIP code 51248

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 51248. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City Status
Sanborn Preferred
Nearby ZIP codes
51350 Melvin (8.3 mi) 51231 Archer (8.3 mi) 51245 Primghar (9.3 mi) 51346 Hartley (9.5 mi) 51232 Ashton (9.9 mi) 51201 Sheldon (10.6 mi) 51238 Hospers (14.7 mi) 51354 Ocheyedan (15.1 mi) 51249 Sibley (15.2 mi) 51046 Paullina (16.1 mi) 51338 Everly (17.5 mi) 51022 Granville (17.8 mi)
Demographics updated 05/2026
Population
Total population 1,712
Population density 22 / sq mi
State FIPS 19
County FIPS 141
Geography
Land area 79.15 sq mi
Water area 0.00 sq mi
Latitude 43.2005
Longitude -95.6538
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 47.3% 43.1% 40.1%
$50k – $100k 43.0% 37.3% 33.4%
$100k – $200k 8.7% 16.5% 21.5%
Over $200k 1.1% 3.1% 5.0%

Demographics & statistics

1,712
Population
22
People per sq mi
43.6
Median age
$56,691
Median household income
$29,154
Per capita income
$130,000
Median home value
$852
Median monthly rent
78.0%
Home ownership
11.9%
Poverty rate
2.2%
Unemployment
569
Housing units
22.2%
Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female
49
Under 5
53
57
5–9
62
63
10–14
68
65
15–19
70
43
20–24
46
67
25–34
72
76
35–44
83
69
45–54
75
57
55–59
61
53
60–64
58
85
65–74
91
50
75–84
54
89
85+
96
← Male
Female →

Age summary

GroupCount%
Under 1843025.1%
18 and over1,28274.9%
65 and over46527.2%
Median age43.6 years

Race & ethnicity

White 97%
Black or African American 1.5%
Two or more races 1%
Hispanic or Latino 0.3%
Asian 0.2%
GroupCount%
White1,66697%
Black or African American251.5%
Two or more races171%
Hispanic or Latino60.3%
Asian40.2%

Household income

Income range This ZIP County avg State avg
Under $50k 47.3% 43.1% 40.1%
$50k – $100k 43.0% 37.3% 33.4%
$100k – $200k 8.7% 16.5% 21.5%
Over $200k 1.1% 3.1% 5.0%
Under $10k 5.3%
$10k–$15k 5.3%
$15k–$25k 11.2%
$25k–$35k 9.2%
$35k–$50k 13.2%
$50k–$75k 19.1%
$75k–$100k 14.8%
$100k–$150k 15.4%
$150k–$200k 5.3%
$200k+ 1.3%
Range% of households
Under $10k5.3%
$10k–$15k5.3%
$15k–$25k11.2%
$25k–$35k9.2%
$35k–$50k13.2%
$50k–$75k19.1%
$75k–$100k14.8%
$100k–$150k15.4%
$150k–$200k5.3%
$200k+1.3%
Median income$56,691

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 7.8%
$50k–$100k 27.0%
$100k–$150k 22.4%
$150k–$200k 15.3%
$200k–$300k 18.2%
$300k–$500k 8.6%
$1M+ 0.5%

Housing overview

MetricValue
Median home value$130,000
Median rent / month$852
Owner occupied78.0%
Renter occupied22.0%
Vacant2.9%
Single-family detached79.8%
Large apartment buildings0.0%
Mobile homes1.1%
Median rooms6.5
Avg household size (owned)2.51

Year built

Era%
2020 or later0.0%
2010–20194.3%
2000–20099.9%
1990–199910.6%
1980–19895.0%
1970–19798.1%
1960–196918.5%
1950–195910.2%
1940–19493.6%
1939 or earlier29.7%

Bedrooms

Size% of units
No bedroom (studio)0.0%
1 bedroom7.2%
2 bedrooms30.8%
3 bedrooms30.8%
4 bedrooms21.3%
5+ bedrooms9.9%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles% of households
No vehicle4.6%
1 vehicle30.6%
2 vehicles35.7%
3 or more29.2%

Heating fuel

Fuel type%
Utility gas66.3%
Electricity22.9%
Propane / LP gas8.5%
Fuel oil1.3%
No fuel used0.6%

Households & families

Household typeCount%
Married-couple family31745.1%
Cohabiting couple456.4%
Male householder, no spouse16323.2%
Female householder, no spouse17825.3%
Households with children under 1816823.9%
Households with seniors (65+)27639.3%
Average household size2.33

Marital status

StatusMaleFemale
Never married33.0%21.7%
Married51.5%47.9%
Separated1.0%1.5%
Widowed4.1%20.4%
Divorced10.4%8.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.1%
Some HS, no diploma 4.1%
HS graduate 41.9%
Some college, no degree 20.0%
Associate's degree 10.7%
Bachelor's degree 18.2%
Graduate / professional 4.0%
Metric%
HS diploma or higher94.8%
Bachelor's or higher22.2%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

TypeCount%
Nursery / preschool112.6%
Kindergarten163.8%
Elementary school24057.1%
High school8620.5%
College / grad school6716.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 28.1%
Manufacturing 15.9%
Retail trade 10.2%
Professional & management 7.0%
Agriculture & mining 6.9%
Construction 6.5%
Wholesale trade 5.1%
Transportation & utilities 4.6%
Finance & real estate 3.9%
Information 3.4%
Arts, food & hospitality 3.4%
Other services 3.0%
Public administration 2.3%

Occupation

Category%
Management, business & arts33.6%
Service22.0%
Sales & office11.6%
Natural resources & construction15.1%
Production & transportation17.7%

Employment type

Type%
Private sector70.7%
Government16.7%
Self-employed11.6%
Unpaid family workers1.1%

Commute

Method%
Drive alone82.3%
Carpool5.8%
Public transit0.6%
Walk2.1%
Work from home9.3%
Other means0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)20.5

Poverty

All people 11.9%
Under 18 years 11.0%
18 and over 12.2%
Married-couple families 12.6%
Female-led households 34.1%

Income support

Source% of households
Social Security41.7%
Retirement income27.9%
Supplemental Security1.8%
Cash public assistance2.3%
Food stamps / SNAP5.4%

Health indicators

Condition%
Obesity33.5%
High blood pressure36.6%
High cholesterol35.4%
Diabetes10.9%
Heart disease8.3%
Stroke3.8%
Asthma9.1%
Arthritis28.5%
Kidney disease3.5%
Pulmonary disease7.9%
Cancer8.9%
Behavior / access%
Smoking16.6%
Binge drinking19.6%
No physical activity28.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep28.9%
Depression17.3%
Fair or poor health14.1%
Poor mental health12.8%
Poor physical health10.5%
No health insurance9.6%
Visited doctor (checkup)76.7%
Visited dentist66.5%
Cholesterol screening89.3%
Teeth loss14.6%

Veterans & disability

VeteransCount%
Civilian veterans977.6%
Disability%
Any disability12.7%
Under 181.6%
18–64 years9.3%
65 and over32.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type%
Private insurance64.7%
Public insurance54.7%
No insurance0.8%
Uninsured under 190.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

LanguageCount%
English only1,61094.0%
Spanish110.7%
Other Indo-European00.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander00.0%
Other languages00.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

OriginCount%
Native born (US)1,68398.3%
Born in same state1,67998.1%
Born in different state1,38480.8%
Foreign born40.2%
Naturalized citizen291.7%
Not a US citizen724.1%

Ancestry

AncestryCount%
English55332.3%
Italian1026%
French935.4%
Arab744.3%
AncestryCount%
Polish181.1%
Dutch120.7%
German70.4%

Technology access

Metric% of households
Computer access41.1%
Internet access91.6%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 51248

What city is ZIP code 51248 in?

ZIP code 51248 is primarily assigned to Sanborn, Iowa.

What county is ZIP code 51248 in?

ZIP code 51248 falls within Obrien County, Iowa.

Does ZIP code 51248 have an older population?

27% of residents in ZIP code 51248 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 51248 have a large retiree population?

42% of households in ZIP code 51248 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 51248?

The median home value in ZIP code 51248 is $130,000.

What is the population of ZIP code 51248?

ZIP code 51248 has an estimated population of 1,712 residents, with a density of 22 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 51248 in?

ZIP code 51248 observes the CST timezone.

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