Sanborn is a city in O'Brien County, Iowa, home to about 1,323 people across 1.9 square miles. Its ZIP code is 51248.
Homes sold for a median of $108 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a buyer’s market.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Sanborn. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Sanborn’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)131 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Sioux Falls Regional Airport (FSD)61 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Omaha, NE134 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL417 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Sanborn; 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.
Sanborn had 1,392 residents in the 2020 census, up 3% since 2000.
It’s the 238th largest of 1,019 towns in Iowa by population.
O'Brien County grew from 16,985 residents in 1900 to 14,182 in 2020.
O'Brien County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 83°F in summer, and winter lows average 6°F. About 32.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 41 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Sanborn, IA weather station (about a mile away).
5,332 jobs at 488 businesses in O'Brien County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
8 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Sanborn.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Dentists | 2 |
|---|---|
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 1 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 1 |
| Chiropractors | 4 |
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 (2 nearby)
Grocery stores (1 nearby)
Libraries (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 Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Comm School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Middle SchoolSanborn | 5–8 | 165 | Public | 0.4 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sanborn Christian SchoolSanborn | Pre-K–8 | 103 | Christian (no specific denomination) | 0.5 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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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.