51249 ZIP Code — Sibley, IA

Osceola County, Iowa

ZIP code 51249 is located in Sibley, Iowa, within Osceola County. It covers approximately 126.59 square miles and serves a population of 3,388 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 712.

About ZIP code 51249

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 $143,300. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 73%.

Median household income is $67,083. 38% 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.

College attainment at 15% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Overall, ZIP code 51249 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

3,388

population

126.59

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

51249 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 51249

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 51249. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Sibley	Acceptable
Sibley	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

51232 Ashton (7.6 mi) 51243 Little Rock (9 mi) 51354 Ocheyedan (9.9 mi) 56117 Bigelow (10.1 mi) 51350 Melvin (10.8 mi) 51237 George (12.7 mi) 56168 Rushmore (14 mi) 56129 Ellsworth (14.4 mi) 51248 Sanborn (15.2 mi) 51345 Harris (15.5 mi) 56110 Adrian (16.6 mi) 51201 Sheldon (16.8 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	3,388
Population density	27 / sq mi
State FIPS	19
County FIPS	143

Geography
Land area	126.59 sq mi
Water area	0.01 sq mi
Latitude	43.4083
Longitude	-95.7518
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	36.2%	40.1%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	42.4%	40.5%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	17.8%	16.6%	21.5%
Over $200k	3.7%	2.8%	5.0%

Demographics & statistics

3,388

Population

People per sq mi

42.3

Median age

$67,083

Median household income

$36,062

Per capita income

$143,300

Median home value

$727

Median monthly rent

73.4%

Home ownership

16.1%

Poverty rate

6.0%

Unemployment

1,147

Housing units

15.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

147

10–14

136

124

15–19

115

20–24

196

25–34

181

197

35–44

181

202

45–54

185

121

55–59

111

114

60–64

104

197

65–74

181

115

75–84

106

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	772	22.8%
18 and over	2,616	77.2%
65 and over	767	22.6%
Median age	42.3 years

Race & ethnicity

White 87.3%

Hispanic or Latino 4.3%

Other race 2.5%

Two or more races 2.3%

Asian 1.8%

Black or African American 1.4%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%

Group	Count	%
White	3,091	87.3%
Hispanic or Latino	153	4.3%
Other race	90	2.5%
Two or more races	81	2.3%
Asian	62	1.8%
Black or African American	48	1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	16	0.5%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	36.2%	40.1%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	42.4%	40.5%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	17.8%	16.6%	21.5%
Over $200k	3.7%	2.8%	5.0%

Under $10k 3.4%

$10k–$15k 6.3%

$15k–$25k 8.2%

$25k–$35k 7.1%

$35k–$50k 12.6%

$50k–$75k 19.5%

$75k–$100k 13.8%

$100k–$150k 15.9%

$150k–$200k 5.6%

$200k+ 7.6%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.4%
$10k–$15k	6.3%
$15k–$25k	8.2%
$25k–$35k	7.1%
$35k–$50k	12.6%
$50k–$75k	19.5%
$75k–$100k	13.8%
$100k–$150k	15.9%
$150k–$200k	5.6%
$200k+	7.6%
Median income	$67,083

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 11.4%

$50k–$100k 23.6%

$100k–$150k 16.2%

$150k–$200k 14.2%

$200k–$300k 20.4%

$300k–$500k 8.4%

$500k–$1M 5.9%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$143,300
Median rent / month	$727
Owner occupied	73.4%
Renter occupied	26.6%
Vacant	7.9%
Single-family detached	85.3%
Large apartment buildings	0.7%
Mobile homes	0.5%
Median rooms	6.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.43

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	2.1%
2000–2009	4.8%
1990–1999	7.0%
1980–1989	4.1%
1970–1979	12.3%
1960–1969	15.1%
1950–1959	17.8%
1940–1949	3.3%
1939 or earlier	33.4%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.5%
1 bedroom	6.3%
2 bedrooms	28.2%
3 bedrooms	34.1%
4 bedrooms	24.8%
5+ bedrooms	6.1%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	5.0%
1 vehicle	26.9%
2 vehicles	33.4%
3 or more	34.7%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	60.1%
Electricity	23.1%
Propane / LP gas	15.6%
Fuel oil	0.1%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	622	44.4%
Cohabiting couple	114	8.1%
Male householder, no spouse	304	21.7%
Female householder, no spouse	360	25.7%
Households with children under 18	317	22.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	496	35.4%
Average household size	2.34

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	35.3%	21.1%
Married	50.6%	45.9%
Separated	1.8%	3.3%
Widowed	3.8%	15.2%
Divorced	8.5%	14.5%

Education

Less than 9th grade 4.5%

Some HS, no diploma 6.8%

HS graduate 39.2%

Some college, no degree 19.2%

Associate's degree 15.2%

Bachelor's degree 8.6%

Graduate / professional 6.5%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	88.7%
Bachelor's or higher	15.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	55	7.3%
Kindergarten	18	2.4%
Elementary school	350	46.5%
High school	200	26.6%
College / grad school	129	17.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 22.4%

Agriculture & mining 16.5%

Manufacturing 14.7%

Retail trade 8.1%

Construction 8.0%

Other services 6.2%

Professional & management 6.0%

Transportation & utilities 5.3%

Wholesale trade 4.6%

Public administration 3.4%

Finance & real estate 2.1%

Arts, food & hospitality 1.7%

Information 1.0%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	29.9%
Service	12.4%
Sales & office	15.5%
Natural resources & construction	20.8%
Production & transportation	21.4%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	79.4%
Government	7.6%
Self-employed	13.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	76.3%
Carpool	11.2%
Public transit	0.1%
Walk	4.3%
Work from home	6.6%
Other means	1.5%
Avg commute (minutes)	21.1

Poverty

All people 16.1%

Under 18 years 32.1%

18 and over 11.4%

Married-couple families 0.5%

Female-led households 54.7%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	37.8%
Retirement income	25.0%
Supplemental Security	6.1%
Cash public assistance	2.6%
Food stamps / SNAP	9.6%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	38.3%
High blood pressure	35.6%
High cholesterol	34.6%
Diabetes	11.0%
Heart disease	7.8%
Stroke	3.6%
Asthma	9.2%
Arthritis	27.9%
Kidney disease	3.3%
Pulmonary disease	7.5%
Cancer	8.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	17.2%
Binge drinking	19.2%
No physical activity	26.5%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	29.3%
Depression	17.1%
Fair or poor health	14.3%
Poor mental health	13.0%
Poor physical health	10.4%
No health insurance	11.1%
Visited doctor (checkup)	75.9%
Visited dentist	65.9%
Cholesterol screening	89.1%
Teeth loss	14.3%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	228	8.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	11.2%
Under 18	1.4%
18–64 years	7.8%
65 and over	31.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	66.1%
Public insurance	43.9%
No insurance	7.1%
Uninsured under 19	4.3%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	3,204	94.6%
Spanish	173	5.4%
Other Indo-European	133	4.2%
Asian & Pacific Islander	14	0.4%
Other languages	26	0.8%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	3,217	95.0%
Born in same state	3,207	94.7%
Born in different state	2,092	61.7%
Foreign born	10	0.3%
Naturalized citizen	171	5.0%
Not a US citizen	23	13.5%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
English	581	17.1%
Italian	315	9.3%
Polish	232	6.8%
Arab	186	5.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
German	107	3.2%
French	63	1.9%
Dutch	31	0.9%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	41.3%
Internet access	93.7%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 51249

What city is ZIP code 51249 in?

ZIP code 51249 is primarily assigned to Sibley, Iowa.

What county is ZIP code 51249 in?

ZIP code 51249 falls within Osceola County, Iowa.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 51249?

16% of residents in ZIP code 51249 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 51249 have a large retiree population?

38% of households in ZIP code 51249 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 51249?

The median home value in ZIP code 51249 is $143,300.

What is the population of ZIP code 51249?

ZIP code 51249 has an estimated population of 3,388 residents, with a density of 27 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 51249 in?

ZIP code 51249 observes the CST timezone.