Town guide

Avoca, Iowa

Avoca is a city in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, home to about 1,444 people across 2.4 square miles. Its ZIP code is 51521.

Homes sold for a median of $73 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a balanced market.

Population1,444607 per sq mi
Median home value$173,800Census, as estimated by owners
Price per sq ft$73Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026
Sold over asking17%Latest 3 months

ZIP codes in Avoca

1 ZIP code

Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Avoca. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology

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Around Avoca

Distances

Nearest major airportEppley Airfield (OMA)31 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Omaha, NE39 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+Chicago, IL396 miles away

Straight-line distances from the center of Avoca; driving is longer.

Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Who represents Avoca

Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.

Population over time

Avoca had 1,683 residents in the 2020 census, up 5% since 2000.

It’s the 222nd largest of 1,019 towns in Iowa by population.

Pottawattamie County grew from 54,336 residents in 1900 to 93,667 in 2020.

Avoca population by census2000: 1,610, 2010: 1,506, 2020: 1,6831,61020001,50620101,6832020

Pottawattamie County, 1900–2020

Pottawattamie County population, 1900 to 20201900: 54,336, 1910: 55,832, 1920: 61,550, 1930: 69,888, 1940: 66,756, 1950: 69,682, 1960: 83,102, 1970: 86,991, 1980: 86,561, 1990: 82,628, 2000: 87,704, 2010: 93,158, 2020: 93,66754K’00’1062K’20’3067K’40’5083K’60’7087K’80’9088K’00’1094K’20

Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).

Weather by month

Average highs peak around 86°F in summer, and winter lows average 10°F. About 34.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 31 inches of snow.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near AvocaJan: high 31°F, low 10°F, 0.9 in; Feb: high 36°F, low 14°F, 1 in; Mar: high 50°F, low 25°F, 2.1 in; Apr: high 63°F, low 36°F, 3.3 in; May: high 74°F, low 49°F, 4.7 in; Jun: high 84°F, low 60°F, 5.2 in; Jul: high 86°F, low 64°F, 3.7 in; Aug: high 84°F, low 61°F, 4.3 in; Sep: high 79°F, low 52°F, 4 in; Oct: high 65°F, low 39°F, 2.4 in; Nov: high 49°F, low 26°F, 1.4 in; Dec: high 36°F, low 16°F, 1.3 in31°10°Jan0.936°14°Feb1.050°25°Mar2.163°36°Apr3.374°49°May4.784°60°Jun5.286°64°Jul3.784°61°Aug4.379°52°Sep4.065°39°Oct2.449°26°Nov1.436°16°Dec1.3Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Harlan, IA weather station (12 miles away).

Jobs in Pottawattamie County

32,384 jobs at 1,920 businesses in Pottawattamie County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in Pottawattamie CountyRetail trade: 6,148 jobs; Manufacturing: 5,483 jobs; Health care and social assistance: 5,019 jobs; Hotels and restaurants: 4,942 jobs; Transportation and warehousing: 2,033 jobs; Wholesale trade: 1,678 jobs; Construction: 1,462 jobs; Administrative and support: 1,054 jobsRetail trade 19% Manufacturing 17% Health care and social assistance 16% Hotels and restaurants 15% Transportation and warehousing 6% Wholesale trade 5% Construction 5% Administrative and support 3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).

Health care

14 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Avoca.

Nearest hospitals

  • Myrtue Medical CenterCritical access hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 3 of 5 · Harlan11.8 miles
  • Cass County Memorial HospitalCritical access hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 5 of 5 · Atlantic19.3 miles
  • Audubon County Memorial HospitalCritical access hospital · emergency room · Audubon26.9 miles

Providers with an office here

Mental health providers8
Physical and occupational therapists4
Chiropractors2
Pharmacies3

Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.

Places in and around Avoca

Parks (1 nearby)

  • Volkswagen Beetle Spider0.8 mi

Libraries (1 nearby)

  • Avoca Public Library0.6 mi

Museums (1 nearby)

  • Sweet Vale of Avoca Heritage Museum0.6 mi

Counts are within about 1.5 miles of the center of town.

Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.

Schools in Avoca

Public schools here are run by AHSTW Comm School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.

Public schools (3)
SchoolGradesStudentsTypeDistance
AHSTW Primary SchoolAvocaPre-K–3280Public0.7 mi
AHSTW Intermediate SchoolAvoca4–8270Public0.7 mi
AHSTW High SchoolAvoca9–12205Public0.7 mi

Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.

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Where Avoca is

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Towns near Avoca

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Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.