Neighborhood Profile
ZIP Code 51037 — Meriden, IA
A snapshot of the people, housing, and geography behind the postal code 51037. A very small or essentially rural ZIP in Cherokee, Iowa.
About ZIP 51037
ZIP code 51037 serves Meriden in Cherokee, Iowa. It centers near 42.7874°, -95.6408° and, by population, qualifies as a very small or essentially rural ZIP. Roughly 293 people are estimated to live within its boundaries based on the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2018–2022).
The median household earns about $76,667 per year here. The typical owner-occupied home is valued near $232,100, and asking rents on the open market sit around $703 per month. Compared to the rest of Iowa, that makes 51037 significantly more expensive than typical for the state. Looking at the entire state, the average ZIP code reports a median income closer to $64,118 and a median home value of $135,295.
The median resident is around 55.6 years old, and roughly 12.3% of the population holds at least a bachelor's degree.
Cost of living read
If you're considering a move into 51037, the most useful exercise is to compare the housing math against your current ZIP. Here, a typical home runs $232,100 and a typical rental runs $703 a month. Translate that into your own budget:
- At a 7% 30-year mortgage with 20% down, financing the median home here lands monthly principal & interest near $1,235 — before property tax, insurance, or HOA dues.
- Renting the median unit at $703/mo costs roughly $8,436 per year, or about 11.0% of the local median household income.
- For movers from substantially cheaper or more expensive metros, the home-value gap (+$96,805 versus the state average of $135,295) is often the single biggest line item to plan for.
Who lives here
The age and education profile of a ZIP tells you a lot about what daily life feels like there. With a median age of 55.6 and a population of 293, ZIP 51037 reads as an older-skewing area, often retirement-oriented or in a slower-growth region.
Geography & nearby ZIPs
This ZIP centers at 42.7874, -95.6408. The eight closest neighboring ZIP codes are listed below — useful if you're scoping out the surrounding area, comparing schools, or just want a feel for the broader neighborhood than this one boundary captures.
How to use this profile
Treat ZipLocal Guide as a starting point — never the final word — when you're researching a relocation. The Census ACS data on this page are reliable medians for the ZIP code tabulation area, but they tell you nothing about which side of the freeway you should live on, which streets the local high schoolers actually walk to school, or how the neighborhood has changed since the 2022 estimate window. For those, walk the area, talk to people on the street, and verify your assumptions with a local agent or community group.
If you find this neighborhood interesting, the easiest next step is to view all ZIPs in Meriden or browse the rest of Iowa.