52169 ZIP Code — Wadena, IA

Fayette County, Iowa

ZIP code 52169 is located in Wadena, Iowa, within Fayette County. It covers approximately 33.40 square miles and serves a population of 418 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 563.

About ZIP code 52169

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 $113,400. Owner-occupancy is high at 79%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $57,500. The poverty rate of 7% is below the national average. 57% 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 31 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 52169 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

418

population

33.40

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

52169 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 52169

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 52169. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Wadena	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

52142 Fayette (5.9 mi) 52141 Elgin (6.3 mi) 52077 Volga (6.4 mi) 52135 Clermont (12.4 mi) 50655 Maynard (12.6 mi) 52175 West Union (13 mi) 52076 Strawberry Point (13.5 mi) 52043 Elkader (14 mi) 52072 Saint Olaf (15.7 mi) 50650 Lamont (15.7 mi) 52147 Hawkeye (16.2 mi) 50607 Aurora (16.8 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	418
Population density	13 / sq mi
State FIPS	19
County FIPS	065

Geography
Land area	33.40 sq mi
Water area	0.01 sq mi
Latitude	42.8420
Longitude	-91.6715
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	563

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	37.2%	50.6%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	44.2%	32.8%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	14.0%	13.9%	21.5%
Over $200k	4.7%	2.7%	5.0%

Demographics & statistics

418

Population

People per sq mi

55.4

Median age

$57,500

Median household income

$33,039

Per capita income

$113,400

Median home value

$716

Median monthly rent

78.6%

Home ownership

6.7%

Poverty rate

1.8%

Unemployment

162

Housing units

14.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

45–54

55–59

60–64

65–74

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	59	14.1%
18 and over	359	85.9%
65 and over	140	33.5%
Median age	55.4 years

Race & ethnicity

White 83.6%

Hispanic or Latino 7.1%

Two or more races 6.7%

Other race 2.7%

Group	Count	%
White	376	83.6%
Hispanic or Latino	32	7.1%
Two or more races	30	6.7%
Other race	12	2.7%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	37.2%	50.6%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	44.2%	32.8%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	14.0%	13.9%	21.5%
Over $200k	4.7%	2.7%	5.0%

Under $10k 1.6%

$10k–$15k 4.9%

$15k–$25k 4.4%

$25k–$35k 12.6%

$35k–$50k 23.1%

$50k–$75k 13.7%

$75k–$100k 19.2%

$100k–$150k 15.4%

$150k–$200k 3.8%

$200k+ 1.1%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	1.6%
$10k–$15k	4.9%
$15k–$25k	4.4%
$25k–$35k	12.6%
$35k–$50k	23.1%
$50k–$75k	13.7%
$75k–$100k	19.2%
$100k–$150k	15.4%
$150k–$200k	3.8%
$200k+	1.1%
Median income	$57,500

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 13.3%

$50k–$100k 26.6%

$100k–$150k 27.3%

$150k–$200k 2.8%

$200k–$300k 5.6%

$300k–$500k 16.8%

$500k–$1M 7.7%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$113,400
Median rent / month	$716
Owner occupied	78.6%
Renter occupied	21.4%
Vacant	9.5%
Single-family detached	91.0%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	3.0%
Median rooms	6.2
Avg household size (owned)	2.24

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	8.0%
2000–2009	12.4%
1990–1999	7.5%
1980–1989	5.5%
1970–1979	11.9%
1960–1969	2.0%
1950–1959	4.5%
1940–1949	8.5%
1939 or earlier	39.8%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.5%
1 bedroom	13.4%
2 bedrooms	24.4%
3 bedrooms	46.8%
4 bedrooms	13.4%
5+ bedrooms	1.5%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	2.7%
1 vehicle	12.1%
2 vehicles	52.2%
3 or more	33.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	6.6%
Electricity	3.8%
Propane / LP gas	75.8%
Fuel oil	1.6%
Wood	11.0%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	104	57.1%
Cohabiting couple	9	4.9%
Male householder, no spouse	42	23.1%
Female householder, no spouse	27	14.8%
Households with children under 18	25	13.7%
Households with seniors (65+)	98	53.8%
Average household size	2.30

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	14.2%	19.3%
Married	64.2%	60.8%
Separated	0.0%	0.6%
Widowed	7.4%	10.2%
Divorced	14.2%	9.1%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.4%

Some HS, no diploma 1.7%

HS graduate 38.2%

Some college, no degree 29.3%

Associate's degree 14.7%

Bachelor's degree 10.6%

Graduate / professional 4.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	96.8%
Bachelor's or higher	14.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	1	1.5%
Kindergarten	1	1.5%
Elementary school	30	46.2%
High school	23	35.4%
College / grad school	10	15.4%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 16.3%

Other services 16.3%

Manufacturing 15.6%

Agriculture & mining 12.5%

Construction 11.3%

Wholesale trade 6.9%

Transportation & utilities 6.9%

Public administration 5.6%

Finance & real estate 4.4%

Professional & management 3.1%

Retail trade 0.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 0.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	25.6%
Service	15.6%
Sales & office	17.5%
Natural resources & construction	23.8%
Production & transportation	17.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	78.8%
Government	10.6%
Self-employed	10.6%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	78.8%
Carpool	7.5%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	3.1%
Work from home	7.5%
Other means	3.1%
Avg commute (minutes)	30.9

Poverty

All people 6.7%

Under 18 years 0.0%

18 and over 7.8%

Married-couple families 1.0%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	57.1%
Retirement income	35.7%
Supplemental Security	4.4%
Cash public assistance	2.2%
Food stamps / SNAP	8.2%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	40.3%
High blood pressure	39.2%
High cholesterol	35.5%
Diabetes	11.8%
Heart disease	8.2%
Stroke	3.8%
Asthma	9.8%
Arthritis	28.2%
Kidney disease	3.4%
Pulmonary disease	8.6%
Cancer	7.8%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	19.3%
Binge drinking	19.8%
No physical activity	25.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	29.3%
Depression	18.1%
Fair or poor health	15.4%
Poor mental health	13.6%
Poor physical health	11.4%
No health insurance	9.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	74.3%
Visited dentist	62.3%
Cholesterol screening	88.9%
Teeth loss	15.4%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	31	8.6%

Disability	%
Any disability	9.3%
Under 18	1.7%
18–64 years	10.0%
65 and over	11.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	71.3%
Public insurance	46.2%
No insurance	6.2%
Uninsured under 19	6.8%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	412	98.6%
Spanish	0	0.0%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	418	100.0%
Born in same state	417	99.8%
Born in different state	331	79.2%
Foreign born	1	0.2%
Naturalized citizen	0	0.0%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	102	24.4%
Polish	83	19.9%
French	46	11%

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	29	6.9%
Dutch	11	2.6%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	43.5%
Internet access	91.2%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 52169

What city is ZIP code 52169 in?

ZIP code 52169 is primarily assigned to Wadena, Iowa.

What county is ZIP code 52169 in?

ZIP code 52169 falls within Fayette County, Iowa.

Does ZIP code 52169 have an older population?

34% of residents in ZIP code 52169 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 52169 have a large retiree population?

57% of households in ZIP code 52169 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 52169?

15% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 52169?

The median home value in ZIP code 52169 is $113,400.

What timezone is ZIP code 52169 in?

ZIP code 52169 observes the CST timezone.