Beacon is a city in Mahaska County, Iowa, home to about 425 people across 1.0 square miles. Its ZIP code is 52534, and parts of 52577 are in Beacon too.
Homes sold for a median of $99 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Mostly Oskaloosa; part is in Beacon
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Beacon. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Beacon’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Des Moines International Airport (DSM)54 miles away |
|---|---|
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Omaha, NE176 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL261 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Beacon; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Beacon had 445 residents in the 2020 census, down 14% since 2000.
It’s the 512th largest of 1,019 towns in Iowa by population.
Mahaska County grew from 34,273 residents in 1900 to 22,190 in 2020.
Mahaska County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 86°F in summer, and winter lows average 12°F. About 38.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Oskaloosa, IA weather station (3 miles away).
7,582 jobs at 538 businesses in Mahaska County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
Nearest hospitals
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances.
Parks (1 nearby)
Grocery stores
Pharmacies
Libraries
Museums
Theaters and performance venues (1 nearby)
Counts are within about 1 mile 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.
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Shares ZIP codes with Oskaloosa, University Park and Keomah Village.
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.