ZIP Code 51527 — Defiance city, IA Demographics & Data

ZIP code 51527 covers Defiance, IA in Shelby County with a population of about 346.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 59.0 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area code 712; U.S. House district IA-4; the OMAHA media market.

Defiance, IA fits a retirement-oriented profile (high share of residents 65+ (41.3%)). Residents and relocators commonly research healthcare access, everyday amenities (dining, personal services), and housing costs rather than tech or campus life.

Median household income in ZIP 51527 is about $63,155 — about 16% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 9.5%; unemployment rate near 1.1%; 16.3% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 17.4 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Agriculture, Manufacturing, and Construction; about 15.3% of workers reporting work-from-home (roughly in line with the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 149.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $115,300 — about 67% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show owner-occupancy near 90.6% (about 25.2 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 51527 in Defiance, IA, a household would need roughly $32,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $741. That sits below the local median household income ($63,155), suggesting the typical household income is closer to a workable buy-in level under these assumptions. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for Defiance city, IA as Very Low (composite score 22.8), which is relatively lower than many U.S. communities. The strongest component scores on US5 are wildfire (21.1) and flood (19.5). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for Defiance city, IA show little to no average snow and around 34.3 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 20 for ZIP 51527 (Defiance city, IA) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.