Essex is a city in Page County, Iowa, home to about 854 people across 1.5 square miles. Its ZIP code is 51638.
Homes sold for a median of $162 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Essex. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Essex’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Eppley Airfield (OMA)45 miles away |
|---|---|
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Omaha, NE50 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL400 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Essex; 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.
Essex had 722 residents in the 2020 census, down 18% since 2000.
It’s the 329th largest of 1,019 towns in Iowa by population.
Page County grew from 24,187 residents in 1900 to 15,211 in 2020.
Page County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 87°F in summer, and winter lows average 14°F. About 36.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 26 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Shenandoah, IA weather station (6 miles away).
5,911 jobs at 404 businesses in Page County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
3 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Essex.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Mental health providers | 2 |
|---|---|
| Physical and occupational therapists | 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 (1 nearby)
Libraries
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 Essex Comm School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essex Elementary SchoolEssex | Pre-K–5 | 101 | Public | 1.3 mi |
| Essex Junior-Senior High SchoolEssex | 6–12 | 87 | Public | 1.3 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.