Town guide

Dickens, Iowa

Dickens is a city in Clay County, Iowa, home to about 131 people across 0.8 square miles. Its ZIP code is 51333.

Population131158 per sq mi
Median home value$99,300Census, as estimated by owners

ZIP codes in Dickens

1 ZIP code
Dickens, IA51333Not enough recent sales for market figures yet.

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  • History
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Around Dickens

Distances

Nearest major airportDes Moines International Airport (DSM)131 miles away
Closer regional airportFort Dodge Regional Airport (FOD)58 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Omaha, NE142 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+Chicago, IL383 miles away

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

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

Who represents Dickens

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

Dickens had 146 residents in the 2020 census, down 28% since 2000.

It’s the 802nd largest of 1,019 towns in Iowa by population.

Clay County grew from 13,401 residents in 1900 to 16,384 in 2020.

Dickens population by census2000: 202, 2010: 185, 2020: 146202200018520101462020

Clay County, 1900–2020

Clay County population, 1900 to 20201900: 13,401, 1910: 12,766, 1920: 15,660, 1930: 16,107, 1940: 17,762, 1950: 18,103, 1960: 18,504, 1970: 18,464, 1980: 19,576, 1990: 17,585, 2000: 17,372, 2010: 16,667, 2020: 16,38413K’00’1016K’20’3018K’40’5019K’60’7020K’80’9017K’00’1016K’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 84°F in summer, and winter lows average 7°F. About 31.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 43 inches of snow.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near DickensJan: high 25°F, low 7°F, 0.7 in; Feb: high 30°F, low 11°F, 0.8 in; Mar: high 43°F, low 24°F, 1.7 in; Apr: high 58°F, low 35°F, 3.5 in; May: high 70°F, low 47°F, 4.2 in; Jun: high 80°F, low 58°F, 4.6 in; Jul: high 84°F, low 62°F, 3.7 in; Aug: high 81°F, low 59°F, 3.8 in; Sep: high 75°F, low 50°F, 3.3 in; Oct: high 60°F, low 37°F, 2.4 in; Nov: high 44°F, low 24°F, 1.4 in; Dec: high 30°F, low 13°F, 1 in25°7°Jan0.730°11°Feb0.843°24°Mar1.758°35°Apr3.570°47°May4.280°58°Jun4.684°62°Jul3.781°59°Aug3.875°50°Sep3.360°37°Oct2.444°24°Nov1.430°13°Dec1.0Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Spencer 1 N, IA weather station (8 miles away).

Jobs in Clay County

7,012 jobs at 570 businesses in Clay County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in Clay CountyRetail trade: 1,373 jobs; Health care and social assistance: 1,349 jobs; Manufacturing: 725 jobs; Wholesale trade: 622 jobs; Hotels and restaurants: 535 jobs; Transportation and warehousing: 366 jobs; Construction: 334 jobs; Administrative and support: 322 jobsRetail trade 20% Health care and social assistance 19% Manufacturing 10% Wholesale trade 9% Hotels and restaurants 8% Transportation and warehousing 5% Construction 5% Administrative and support 5%

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

Health care

Nearest hospitals

  • Spencer Municipal HospitalGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 4 of 5 · Spencer8.0 miles
  • Palo Alto County HospitalCritical access hospital · emergency room · Emmetsburg15.1 miles
  • Avera Holy Family HospitalCritical access hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 2 of 5 · Estherville19.2 miles

Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances.

Places in and around Dickens

Libraries

  • Dickens Public Library2.5 mi
  • Ruthven Public Library4.5 mi
  • Ruthven Public Library4.7 mi

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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Towns near Dickens

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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.