Zip code 51459: Ralston, Iowa
Boundary is the Census Bureau's ZIP Code Tabulation Area, which closely tracks the postal delivery area.
About 51459
51459 is a small-town zip code in Ralston, Iowa (Carroll County), covering 0.6 sq mi of land. About 54 people live here, or 98 per square mile. The median resident is 40 years old, compared with 38.9 nationally. With so few residents, the Census figures below are rough estimates with wide margins of error.
The median household earns $63,333 a year, 22% below the national median of $80,734. 29.6% of residents live below the poverty line (U.S.: 12.5%). A typical home is valued at $75,000, or 1.2 years of median household income (U.S.: 4.1 years), which makes homes relatively affordable for local earners. 82% of occupied homes are lived in by their owners.
0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S.: 36%). Commuters average 20.3 minutes each way, and 0% of workers work from home. The most common jobs among working residents are in healthcare; sales; and construction and repair.
How 51459 compares
Only about 54 people live here, so these survey estimates have wide margins of error.
- U.S. 334,922,499 · IA 3,210,507
- Population density98/sq miU.S. 95/sq mi · IA 58/sq mi
- Median household income$63,333U.S. $80,734 · IA $75,059
- Per capita income$25,578U.S. $44,673 · IA $40,877
- Median home value$75,000U.S. $332,700 · IA $208,000
- U.S. 38.9 · IA 38.6
- Poverty rate29.6%U.S. 12.5% · IA 11.1%
- U.S. 35.7% · IA 31.4%
- Homeownership rate81.8%U.S. 65.2% · IA 71.7%
- Average commute20.3 minU.S. 26.4 min · IA 19.8 min
- U.S. 15.1% · IA 11.3%
- U.S. 5.2% · IA 3.6%
- Diversity index23.3U.S. 61.4 · IA 31.4
- Broadband access95.5%U.S. 91% · IA 88.9%
- U.S. 8.4% · IA 5%
- Veterans5.1%U.S. 6.2% · IA 6.5%
- U.S. 14.1% · IA 5.9%
- Housing vacancy15.4%U.S. 10.1% · IA 8.5%
- U.S. 51.1% · IA 43.9%
- U.S. 17.2% · IA 18.1%
- Residents under 1827.8%U.S. 22% · IA 22.9%
- Median earnings per worker$58,333U.S. $49,666 · IA $47,712
- U.S. 3.8% · IA 2.9%
- U.S. 9.7% · IA 9.2%
- U.S. 10% · IA 10.2%
- U.S. 14.5% · IA 14.5%
- U.S. 0.483 · IA 0.444
| Measure | 51459 | Carroll | IA | U.S. | National percentile | Rank in IA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 54 | 20,594 | 3,210,507 | 334,922,499 | — | — |
| Population density | 98/sq mi | 36/sq mi | 58/sq mi | 95/sq mi | — | — |
| Median household income | $63,333 | $72,930 | $75,059 | $80,734 | — | — |
| Per capita income | $25,578 | $40,939 | $40,877 | $44,673 | — | — |
| Median home value | $75,000 | $176,000 | $208,000 | $332,700 | — | — |
| Median age | 40 | 41.1 | 38.6 | 38.9 | — | — |
| Poverty rate | 29.6% | 7.9% | 11.1% | 12.5% | — | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 0% | 24% | 31.4% | 35.7% | — | — |
| Homeownership rate | 81.8% | 77.1% | 71.7% | 65.2% | — | — |
| Average commute | 20.3 min | 15.7 min | 19.8 min | 26.4 min | — | — |
| Work from home | 0% | 7.3% | 11.3% | 15.1% | — | — |
| Unemployment rate | 9.1% | 1.8% | 3.6% | 5.2% | — | — |
| Diversity index | 23.3 | 15.2 | 31.4 | 61.4 | — | — |
| Broadband access | 95.5% | 87.3% | 88.9% | 91% | — | — |
| Uninsured rate | 13% | 2.8% | 5% | 8.4% | — | — |
| Veterans | 5.1% | 6.4% | 6.5% | 6.2% | — | — |
| Foreign-born residents | 0% | 1.6% | 5.9% | 14.1% | — | — |
| Housing vacancy | 15.4% | 7.9% | 8.5% | 10.1% | — | — |
| Rent-burdened renters | 50% | 36% | 43.9% | 51.1% | — | — |
| Residents 65 and older | 24.1% | 21.2% | 18.1% | 17.2% | — | — |
| Residents under 18 | 27.8% | 24.4% | 22.9% | 22% | — | — |
| Median earnings per worker | $58,333 | $47,650 | $47,712 | $49,666 | — | — |
| Tech workers | 0% | 0.9% | 2.9% | 3.8% | — | — |
| Healthcare workers | 25% | 9.7% | 9.2% | 9.7% | — | — |
| Self-employed workers | 0% | 16% | 10.2% | 10% | — | — |
| Government workers | 25% | 13.4% | 14.5% | 14.5% | — | — |
| Income inequality (Gini) | 0.351 | 0.436 | 0.444 | 0.483 | — | — |
The percentile is the share of Americans who live in a zip code with a lower value, so the 50th percentile is typical. Rank 1 is the highest value in the state. Both include zip codes with at least 100 residents. Strengths and weaknesses mark measures in the best or worst fifth nationally, where higher or lower is clearly better (income, poverty, education, commute, broadband, insurance and similar). Measures like age or density are left unmarked.
People
Age
Race and ethnicity
- White87%
- Black0%
- Hispanic9%
- Asian0%
- Native American0%
- Pacific Islander0%
- Other0%
- Multiracial4%
Language spoken at home (households)
Households
- Households
- 22
- Average household size
- 2.5
- Family households
- 81.8%
- Married couples
- 36.4%
- Living alone
- 13.6%
- Veterans (of adults)
- 5.1%
- Male / female
- 41% / 59%
Income and poverty
Household income distribution
Median household income
Housing
Median home value
Median gross rent
Types of housing
- Housing units
- 26
- Owner-occupied
- 81.8%
- Vacant
- 15.4%
- Median year built
- 1939 or earlier
- Median rooms
- 5.5
- Renters paying 30%+ of income
- 50%
- Renters paying 50%+ of income
- 50%
- Home value to income
- 1.2× (U.S. 4.1×)
Work and commute
How people get to work
Commute time (one way)
Jobs and careers
Occupations
Industries
Median earnings by type of work
| Type of work | 51459 | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Management, business, science and arts | — | $74,888 |
| Service | $59,167 | $26,804 |
| Sales and office | $21,875 | $40,476 |
| Construction and maintenance | $45,000 | $49,199 |
| Production and transportation | $123,750 | $39,989 |
Education, internet and health coverage
Highest education (adults 25+)
- High school graduate or higher
- 100%
- Bachelor's degree or higher
- 0%
- Graduate or professional degree
- 0%
- Households with broadband
- 95.5%
- Cable, fiber or DSL
- 81.8%
- No internet access
- 4.5%
- Without health insurance
- 13%
- Limited-English households
- 0%
Geography
- City (USPS)
- Ralston
- State
- Iowa
- County
- Carroll County
- Center point
- 42.0450° N, 94.6378° W
- Land area
- 0.6 sq mi
- Water area
- under 0.1 sq mi
- Time zone
- Central Time (UTC-6, UTC-5 in summer)
- Zip type
- Residential delivery area
Cities and towns within this zip
- Ralston100% of zip
Census places overlapping the zip's area. Mail may use a different city name than the municipality.
Zip codes near 51459
| Zip | City | Distance | IncomeMedian income |
|---|---|---|---|
| 51443 | Glidden, IA | 3.5 mi | $78,906 |
| 51462 | Scranton, IA | 4.7 mi | $69,286 |
| 51452 | Lidderdale, IA | 9.2 mi | $60,625 |
| 51451 | Lanesboro, IA | 10 mi | $43,750 |
| 50050 | Churdan, IA | 11 mi | $64,432 |
| 51401 | Carroll, IA | 12 mi | $70,702 |
| 50059 | Cooper, IA · PO box | 12 mi | — |
| 51440 | Dedham, IA | 13 mi | $87,750 |
| 50058 | Coon Rapids, IA | 13 mi | $80,119 |
| 50129 | Jefferson, IA | 14 mi | $60,671 |
| 50029 | Bayard, IA | 16 mi | $57,125 |
| 51453 | Lohrville, IA | 16 mi | $86,563 |
Questions about 51459
What city is zip code 51459?
51459 is assigned to Ralston, Iowa. The city name is the one the Postal Service prefers for mail addressed to this zip code.
What county is 51459 in?
51459 is in Carroll County, Iowa.
What is the population of 51459?
About 54 people live in 51459, according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey.
What time zone is 51459 in?
51459 is in Central Time.
What is the median household income in 51459?
The median household income in 51459 is $63,333.
What zip codes are near 51459?
The closest zip codes to 51459 are 51443, 51462, 51452, 51451, 50050.
Demographic figures are 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Area 51459, from the U.S. Census Bureau. Small areas have wide margins of error. How we build these numbers.