Elkader is a city in Clayton County, Iowa, home to about 1,293 people across 1.4 square miles. Its ZIP code is 52043.
Homes sold for a median of $131 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a balanced market.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Elkader. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
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| Nearest major airport | Des Moines International Airport (DSM)146 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Dubuque Regional Airport (DBQ)47 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Madison, WI102 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL203 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Elkader; 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.
Elkader had 1,209 residents in the 2020 census, down 17% since 2000.
It’s the 242nd largest of 1,019 towns in Iowa by population.
Clayton County grew from 27,750 residents in 1900 to 17,043 in 2020.
Clayton County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 82°F in summer, and winter lows average 6°F. About 38.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 36 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Elkader 6 Ssw, IA weather station (6 miles away).
4,999 jobs at 487 businesses in Clayton County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
17 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Elkader.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 4 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 1 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 4 |
| Mental health providers | 2 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 1 |
| Optometrists | 2 |
| Chiropractors | 3 |
| Pharmacies | 1 |
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.
Parks (6 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums (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.
Public schools here are run by Central Comm School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central ElementaryElkader | Pre-K–6 | 292 | Public | 0.6 mi |
| Central Middle School/High SchoolElkader | 7–12 | 182 | Public | 0.6 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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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.