Postal Codes

51248 ZIP Code

Advertisement

English Español

ZIP code 51248 covers Sanborn, Iowa, with a population of about 1,643 and a median household income of $60,809.

Population
1,64321 per square mile
Median age
43.24.5 points above the US average
Median household income
$60,80917% below the Iowa median
Poverty rate
13.5%1.1 points above the US average
Typical home value
$209,823up 36.6% in five years
Median rent
$8698% below the Iowa median
Degree or higher
21.9%13.1 points below the US average
Homeownership
77.4%12.4 points above the US average
Time zone
Central UTC-06:00observes daylight saving time
Businesses
57

Where 51248 is

Sanborn, Iowa — the area the Census Bureau draws for this ZIP code. ZIP codes are sets of delivery routes rather than areas, so this is the Census approximation of one, not a Postal Service boundary.

People and households

American Community Survey 2019–2023 five-year estimates

Population1,643
Median age43.2
Family households58%
Born outside the US1.5%
Speaks a language other than English at home2.3%
White (non-Hispanic)97.1%
Black (non-Hispanic)1.4%
Asian (non-Hispanic)0.5%
Hispanic or Latino0.1%
Veterans8.3%
Population by age
MaleFemale0-45-910-1415-1920-2425-3435-4445-5455-6465-7475-8485+
Income and poverty

American Community Survey 2019–2023 five-year estimates

Median household income$60,809
Income per person$33,846
Poverty rate13.5%
Households on SNAP or cash assistance7.2%

Household income distribution

Under $10k5.8%
$10–15k7.4%
$15–20k4.2%
$20–25k6.6%
$25–30k2.7%
$30–35k5.2%
$35–40k1.8%
$40–45k4.5%
$45–50k1.7%
$50–60k9.2%
$60–75k11.7%
$75–100k14.9%
$100–125k11.0%
$125–150k4.5%
$150–200k6.9%
$200k or more1.7%

Income as declared to the IRS

Filed returns rather than survey responses, so this counts tax units and not households.

Tax returns filed830
Mean adjusted gross income$81,846
Returns declaring $200,000 or more6%
Returns, under $25k21.7%
Returns, $25k–$50k22.9%
Returns, $50k–$75k16.9%
Returns, $75k–$100k13.3%
Returns, $100k–$200k19.3%
Returns, $200k or more6.0%
Housing

American Community Survey 2019–2023 five-year estimates

Median home value$154,400
Median gross rent$869
Owner-occupied77.4%
Vacant homes2.9%
Median year built1964

What the homes are

Detached house82.3%
Attached house5.1%
2 to 4 units6.6%
5 to 19 units5.2%
Mobile home0.8%
Home values and rents today

Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index, courtesy of Zillow. Monthly and current, where the Census figures above are a five-year average and are capped at $2,000,000.

Typical home value$209,823as of 2026-07
Typical home value, 1 yearup 9%
Typical home value, 5 yearsup 36.6%
Typical home value since 2000
201920222026$209,823$131,394

$131,394 in 2019 to $209,823 in 2026.

Work, commuting and education

American Community Survey 2019–2023 five-year estimates

Unemployment rate2.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher21.9%
High school diploma or higher95.8%
Works from home4.9%
Drives to work alone84.7%
Takes public transport0.6%
Commutes 45 minutes or more6.5%
Health

CDC PLACES 2025 release, model-based estimates. These are modelled small-area estimates for adults, not counts of diagnosed cases.

Obesity38.7% 5.3 pts above the national average of 33.4%
Diagnosed diabetes13.3% 1.3 pts above the national average of 12%
Currently smokes16.3% 3.1 pts above the national average of 13.2%
High blood pressure39.6% 5.5 pts above the national average of 34.1%
Fair or poor general health21.1% 0.8 pts above the national average of 20.3%
No health insurance (18–64)7.7% 3.6 pts below the national average of 11.3%
Depression20.5% 1.4 pts below the national average of 21.9%
No leisure-time physical activity29.3% 3.9 pts above the national average of 25.4%
Arthritis32.3% 7.2 pts above the national average of 25.1%
Binge drinking17.7% 1.7 pts above the national average of 16%
Taking blood pressure medication80.6% 5.9 pts above the national average of 74.7%
Cancer (non-skin)11.1% 3.4 pts above the national average of 7.7%
Current asthma10.1% same as the national average of 10.4%
Coronary heart disease8.9% 2.7 pts above the national average of 6.2%
Routine check-up in past year79.1% 2.4 pts above the national average of 76.7%
Cholesterol screening85.2% 0.7 pts below the national average of 85.9%
Cognitive disability14.4% same as the national average of 14.8%
Colorectal screening66.4% 2.1 pts above the national average of 64.3%
COPD9.1% 2.5 pts above the national average of 6.6%
Visited a dentist66.3% 5 pts above the national average of 61.3%
Any disability34.1% 3.4 pts above the national average of 30.7%
Lacks emotional support22.3% 2.5 pts below the national average of 24.8%
Food insecurity12.8% 4.3 pts below the national average of 17.1%
Received food stamps11.6% 2.7 pts below the national average of 14.3%
Hearing disability10.4% 3.7 pts above the national average of 6.7%
High cholesterol37.9% 1.7 pts above the national average of 36.2%
Housing insecurity9.3% 4.5 pts below the national average of 13.8%
Independent living disability9.1% 0.7 pts above the national average of 8.4%
Lacks transport7.1% 2.1 pts below the national average of 9.2%
Loneliness31.2% 3.2 pts below the national average of 34.4%
Mammography use78.5% 2.6 pts above the national average of 75.9%
Poor mental health (14+ days)16.2% 0.6 pts below the national average of 16.8%
Mobility disability17.1% 3.1 pts above the national average of 14%
Poor physical health (14+ days)14.9% 1.4 pts above the national average of 13.5%
Self-care disability4.3% same as the national average of 4%
Utility shut-off threat6.7% 2.1 pts below the national average of 8.8%
Sleeps under 7 hours33.3% 3.1 pts below the national average of 36.4%
Stroke4.5% 1.1 pts above the national average of 3.4%
All natural teeth lost9.8% 3.2 pts below the national average of 13%
Vision disability5.5% same as the national average of 5.6%
Advertisement
Business and employment

Census ZIP Code Business Patterns 2022

Business establishments57
People employed529
Annual payroll$21,072,000
Natural hazard risk

FEMA National Risk Index, estimated for this ZIP code from census tract data — the NRI is not published per ZIP.

Overall riskHigher than 79% of US census tracts
FEMA ratingRelatively Moderate to Relatively High across the 3 census tracts this ZIP code covers
Expected annual loss86.6 out of 100
Community resilience90.4 out of 100

By hazard

Score is out of 100 and is the area-weighted average across the census tracts this ZIP code covers. The rating beside it is the highest any one of those tracts carries.

Hail98.6Very High at its worst in this ZIP code
Winter weather97.9Very High at its worst in this ZIP code
Drought97.5Relatively Moderate at its worst in this ZIP code
Tornado93.6Very High at its worst in this ZIP code
Strong wind92.6Relatively High at its worst in this ZIP code
Cold wave90.2Very High at its worst in this ZIP code
Ice storm87Relatively High at its worst in this ZIP code
Wildfire72.2Relatively Low at its worst in this ZIP code
Lightning71.1Relatively Moderate at its worst in this ZIP code
River flooding69.9Relatively Moderate at its worst in this ZIP code
Landslide59.4Very Low at its worst in this ZIP code
Heat wave36.5Relatively Moderate at its worst in this ZIP code
Earthquake15.2Very Low at its worst in this ZIP code
Compared with Iowa and the United States

State and national columns are figures for those areas, not for this ZIP code. American Community Survey 2019–2023 five-year estimates

This ZIPIowaUnited States
Median household income$60,809$73,147$78,538
Income per person$33,846$39,728$43,289
Poverty rate13.5%11%12.4%
Median home value$154,400$195,900$303,400
Median gross rent$869$949$1,348
Homeownership77.4%71.5%65%
Bachelor's degree or higher21.9%30.9%35%
Unemployment rate2.1%3.6%5.2%
Works from home4.9%10.4%13.5%
Born outside the US1.5%5.7%13.9%
Median age43.238.638.7
Climate

NOAA US Climate Normals 1991-2020, from the nearest weather station with a full year of records. The station and its distance are named above, because a station forty kilometres away describes somewhere else.

Weather stationSANBORN, IA US1.1 km away
Rain in a year32 in
Snow in a year41 in

Average high and low by month

January24°F / 6.1°F0.91 in rain, 8.2 in snow
February28.3°F / 10.2°F1.1 in rain, 9.1 in snow
March41.5°F / 22.1°F1.9 in rain, 6.3 in snow
April56.5°F / 33.8°F3.4 in rain, 3.2 in snow
May68.7°F / 46.9°F4.49 in rain, 0.1 in snow
June78.9°F / 58°F4.86 in rain
July82.5°F / 62°F3.37 in rain
August80°F / 59.6°F3.5 in rain
September73.5°F / 50.2°F3.31 in rain
October59.7°F / 37.1°F2.47 in rain, 0.5 in snow
November43.1°F / 23.4°F1.59 in rain, 4.5 in snow
December28.9°F / 12.3°F1.17 in rain, 9.5 in snow
Access to food

USDA Food Access Research Atlas, estimated for this ZIP code from census tract data. Each figure is the share of the ZIP code's land area that falls in a tract carrying that flag.

Low income and far from a supermarketNone of this ZIP code
Far from a supermarket1% of this ZIP code's area
No vehicle and far from a supermarket1% of this ZIP code's area
School districts

NCES Geographic Relationship File 2025, which states the association between each district and each ZIP code tabulation area directly. Elementary and secondary districts can cover the same ground, so shares need not total 100%.

This ZIP code is served by 3 school districts, so the address decides which one, not the ZIP code.

Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Community School District85.2% of this ZIP code's land area
Sheldon Community School District12.7% of this ZIP code's land area
South O'Brien Community School District2.1% of this ZIP code's land area
Community and walkability

CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022 and the EPA National Walkability Index, both estimated for this ZIP code from census tract data. Vulnerability figures are national percentile ranks, not measurements.

Overall social vulnerability50more vulnerable than 50% of US census tracts
Socioeconomic status34more vulnerable than 34% of US census tracts
Household characteristics62more vulnerable than 62% of US census tracts
Racial and ethnic minority status9more vulnerable than 9% of US census tracts
Housing type and transport77more vulnerable than 77% of US census tracts
Walkability5.8 out of 20Below average
Nearby ZIP codes

The closest ZIP codes by centre point, which is not the same as sharing a border.

51231 Archer, IA10.2 km away
51350 Melvin, IA12 km away
51245 Primghar, IA12.6 km away
51201 Sheldon, IA14.5 km away
51346 Hartley, IA14.7 km away
51232 Ashton, IA15.4 km away
51244 Matlock, IA23 km away
51238 Hospers, IA23.8 km away
Location, counties and time zone

County shares from Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files. Time zone from the USDOT National Transportation Atlas, which renders the boundaries written into 49 CFR Part 71.

O'Brien County89.8% of this ZIP code's land area
Osceola County10.2% of this ZIP code's land area
Time zoneCentral (UTC-06:00 standard)
Daylight saving timeObserved
Land area79.15 sq mi
Population density21 people per sq mi
Latitude, longitude43.1890, -95.6622

Figures are published for this ZIP code or its Census tabulation area unless a section says otherwise. Estimates whose margin of error made them unreliable are omitted rather than shown. Sources: US Census Bureau, CDC, IRS.

Advertisement