Iowa City, IA
Johnson County · Iowa · United States
Home to 4,412 people across 0.716 square miles.
At a glance
52242 by the numbers
Every figure below comes from the 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, the Census Gazetteer, or is computed from those. Margins of error are shown where they matter.
Location
Where 52242 is
| Coordinates | 41.662939, -91.54355 |
|---|---|
| Time zone | America/Chicago |
| County | Johnson County |
| State | Iowa (IA) |
| Land area | 0.716 mi² |
| Coordinate source | Census ZCTA internal point |
Local time
America/Chicago
Current weather
Live from the National Weather Service
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Distance to major cities
Straight-line, computed from coordinates
| Chicago, IL | 202.2 mi |
|---|---|
| Atlanta, GA | 671.7 mi |
| Dallas, TX | 678.3 mi |
| Denver, CO | 716.0 mi |
People
Who lives in 52242
4,412 residents in 23 households, averaging 191.83 people per household. The largest age group is 18-24 at 96.9% of residents.
Age distribution
Share of residents by age band
Households
Composition and size
| Total households | 23 |
|---|---|
| Average household size | 191.83 |
| Family households | 69.6% |
| Living alone | 0.0% |
| Median age | 19.2 years |
| Households with internet | 69.6% |
Race & ethnicity
Census race categories. Hispanic or Latino origin is asked separately and overlaps these groups.
Income & work
What people earn in 52242
Income data is suppressed for this ZIP code.
Compared to the US
This ZIP against the national median
| Median household income | — ±— |
|---|---|
| Per capita income | $4,490 |
| Poverty rate | 44.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 10.1% |
| Labor force participation | 39.7% |
Household income distribution
Share of households in each bracket
Educational attainment among residents 25 and older: 0.0% hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 76.0% finished high school.
Housing
Homes and rent in 52242
Housing cost data is suppressed for this ZIP code.
Costs
Typical values
| Median home value | — |
|---|---|
| Median gross rent | —/mo |
| Median year built | — |
| Housing units | 23 |
| Vacancy rate | 0.0% |
Own vs. rent
Of 23 occupied units
| Owner households | 0 |
|---|---|
| Renter households | 23 |
Building types
Units by structure size
Getting to work
How 52242 commutes
63.1% of workers walked, and the average one-way trip takes 13.9 minutes.
Mode of transport
Workers 16 and older
Travel time
Mean commute 13.9 minutes
Overview
Understanding ZIP code 52242
ZIP code 52242 is assigned to Iowa City, IA, and falls within Johnson County. Like every US postal code, it began as a mail-routing device rather than a geographic boundary — the US Postal Service groups delivery routes under a single code so carriers and sorting equipment can process mail efficiently. Today it also serves as a practical shorthand for the area itself: roughly 4,412 people live inside it.
At 6,162 residents per square mile spread over 0.716 square miles, 52242 reads as a densely built-up area. It is a smaller postal code by population, and density shapes almost everything else on this page — how people get to work, whether they own or rent, and what housing costs.
Living here
What life in Iowa City looks like
The building stock is dominated by mid-sized apartment buildings, which account for 69.6% of housing units here. At 0.0%, vacancy is low — housing here is tightly held.
The population skews notably young, with a median age of 19.2 against 42 nationally. Households are relatively large at 191.83 people on average, with 69.6% classified as family households.
Getting to work takes 13.9 minutes on average one way. The dominant mode is walked at 63.1% of workers, while 63.1% walk, 11.4% work from home. Commute patterns are one of the better proxies for how a place actually functions day to day.
Where to stay
Where to stay in Iowa City, IA
Iowa City is a built-up area, so you will generally find a mix of chain hotels near the main approach roads and a smaller number of independent properties closer to the centre. Staying in 52242 itself often costs less than an equivalent room in the nearest downtown while keeping you close to it.
For reference, Chicago, IL is about 202.2 miles away in a straight line, which is worth factoring in if you are comparing a stay here against one closer to the city centre.
Availability and pricing change constantly, so the live search below will give you a more accurate picture than any figure we could publish here. It opens results for this area on Booking.com.
Opens Booking.com in a new tab. We are not affiliated with Booking.com and receive nothing from this link.
Practical uses
What ZIP code 52242 is used for
Beyond addressing mail, 52242 does a lot of quiet administrative work. Retailers use it to calculate shipping and sales tax at checkout. Insurers use it to set premiums, since risk profiles vary geographically. Employers and marketers use it to define service areas. Government agencies use it to route benefits and organise reporting. If you have ever been asked for a postal code by a form that clearly does not intend to send you anything, this is why.
For anyone weighing a move, 52242 offers a compact profile of Iowa City: 4,412 residents, 0.0% of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher, and an unemployment rate of 10.1%. A handful of figures like these answer more relocation questions than most neighbourhood guides do.
One caution worth repeating: a postal code is not a neighbourhood. 52242 may cover parts of several distinct areas, and a single neighbourhood in Iowa City may be split across more than one code. Boundaries also shift as USPS adjusts delivery routes. Treat the figures here as describing a delivery area, which is what they actually measure.
Nearby
ZIP codes near 52242
The eight closest postal codes by centroid distance, each with its own full profile. You can also browse every Iowa ZIP code or use the ZIP Express Lookup to search by city, county or time zone.
Other ZIP codes in Iowa City
Iowa City is served by 6 postal codes.
More in Johnson County
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Questions
Common questions about 52242
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Is 52242 urban, suburban or rural?
What is the commute like from 52242?
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Can ZIP code 52242 change?
Methodology
Where this data comes from
- Postal geography — GeoNames open postal code database (CC BY 4.0), cross-checked against the US Census Gazetteer.
- Demographics, income, housing, commute — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-Year Estimates, ZIP Code Tabulation Area 52242. Tables B01001, B01002, B01003, B02001, B03003, B08301, B08303, B11001, B15003, B17001, B19001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25024, B25035, B25064, B25077, B28002.
- Land and water area — US Census Bureau 2023 Gazetteer Files.
- Weather — NOAA National Weather Service, fetched live in your browser.
- Map — OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).