Town guide

Paullina, Iowa

Paullina is a city in O'Brien County, Iowa, home to about 869 people across 0.9 square miles. Its ZIP code is 51046.

Homes sold for a median of $96 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a buyer’s market.

Population869934 per sq mi
Median home value$132,600Census, as estimated by owners
Price per sq ft$96Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026
Sold over asking0%Latest 3 months

ZIP codes in Paullina

1 ZIP code

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

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  • Things to do

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Around Paullina

Distances

Nearest major airportEppley Airfield (OMA)116 miles away
Closer regional airportSioux Gateway Airport / Brigadier General Bud Day Field (SUX)52 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Omaha, NE119 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+Chicago, IL417 miles away

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

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

Who represents Paullina

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

Paullina had 982 residents in the 2020 census, down 13% since 2000.

It’s the 324th largest of 1,019 towns in Iowa by population.

O'Brien County grew from 16,985 residents in 1900 to 14,182 in 2020.

Paullina population by census2000: 1,124, 2010: 1,056, 2020: 9821,12420001,05620109822020

O'Brien County, 1900–2020

O'Brien County population, 1900 to 20201900: 16,985, 1910: 17,262, 1920: 19,051, 1930: 18,409, 1940: 19,293, 1950: 18,970, 1960: 18,840, 1970: 17,522, 1980: 16,972, 1990: 15,444, 2000: 15,102, 2010: 14,398, 2020: 14,18217K’00’1019K’20’3019K’40’5019K’60’7017K’80’9015K’00’1014K’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 85°F in summer, and winter lows average 9°F. About 31.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 35 inches of snow.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near PaullinaJan: high 27°F, low 9°F, 0.8 in; Feb: high 32°F, low 14°F, 0.9 in; Mar: high 46°F, low 26°F, 1.7 in; Apr: high 61°F, low 37°F, 3.3 in; May: high 72°F, low 49°F, 4.1 in; Jun: high 82°F, low 60°F, 5 in; Jul: high 85°F, low 64°F, 3.9 in; Aug: high 82°F, low 62°F, 3.6 in; Sep: high 76°F, low 53°F, 3.3 in; Oct: high 62°F, low 40°F, 2.3 in; Nov: high 45°F, low 27°F, 1.5 in; Dec: high 31°F, low 15°F, 1 in27°9°Jan0.832°14°Feb0.946°26°Mar1.761°37°Apr3.372°49°May4.182°60°Jun5.085°64°Jul3.982°62°Aug3.676°53°Sep3.362°40°Oct2.345°27°Nov1.531°15°Dec1.0Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Primghar, IA weather station (9 miles away).

Jobs in O'Brien County

5,332 jobs at 488 businesses in O'Brien County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in O'Brien CountyHealth care and social assistance: 1,263 jobs; Retail trade: 812 jobs; Manufacturing: 772 jobs; Wholesale trade: 540 jobs; Transportation and warehousing: 467 jobs; Hotels and restaurants: 316 jobs; Other services: 308 jobs; Finance and insurance: 218 jobsHealth care and social assistance 24% Retail trade 15% Manufacturing 15% Wholesale trade 10% Transportation and warehousing 9% Hotels and restaurants 6% Other services 6% Finance and insurance 4%

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

Health care

5 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Paullina.

Nearest hospitals

  • Sanford Sheldon Medical CenterCritical access hospital · emergency room · Sheldon16.5 miles
  • Cherokee Regional Medical CenterCritical access hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 2 of 5 · Cherokee16.7 miles
  • Orange City Area Health SystemCritical access hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 3 of 5 · Orange City17.2 miles

Providers with an office here

Dentists1
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants2
Mental health providers1
Chiropractors1
Pharmacies2

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 Paullina

Grocery stores

  • Prairie Market1.2 mi

Libraries

  • Paullina Public Library1.3 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.

Schools in Paullina

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

Public schools (1)
SchoolGradesStudentsTypeDistance
South O'Brien Secondary SchoolPaullina7–12241Public1.0 mi
Private schools (1)
SchoolGradesStudentsAffiliationDistance
Zion-St John Lutheran SchoolPaullinaPre-K–866Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod1.1 mi

Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.

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Where Paullina is

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Towns near Paullina

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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.