Sheldon is a city in Sioux County, Iowa, home to about 5,474 people across 4.8 square miles. Its ZIP code is 51201.
Homes sold for a median of $118 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 Sheldon. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Sheldon’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)130 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Sioux Falls Regional Airport (FSD)53 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Omaha, NE133 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL425 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Sheldon; 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.
Sheldon had 5,512 residents in the 2020 census, up 12% since 2000.
It’s the 76th largest of 1,019 towns in Iowa by population.
Sioux County grew from 23,337 residents in 1900 to 35,872 in 2020.
Sioux 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 5°F. About 31.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 41 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Sheldon, IA weather station (about a mile away).
20,910 jobs at 1,345 businesses in Sioux County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
81 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Sheldon.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 7 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 5 |
| Dentists | 5 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 28 |
| Mental health providers | 7 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 18 |
| Optometrists | 7 |
| Chiropractors | 4 |
| Pharmacies | 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 (5 nearby)
Grocery stores (2 nearby)
Pharmacies (2 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums (8 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues (1 nearby)
Counts are within about 1.5 miles 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.
Colleges and universities
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Sheldon Comm School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Elementary SchoolSheldon | Pre-K–4 | 468 | Public | 0.2 mi |
| Little Orabs PreschoolSheldon | Pre-K | 43 | Public | 0.5 mi |
| Sheldon Middle SchoolSheldon | 5–8 | 312 | Public | 0.6 mi |
| Sheldon High SchoolSheldon | 9–12 | 356 | Public | 0.3 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheldon Christian SchoolSheldon | Pre-K–8 | 96 | Christian (no specific denomination) | 0.1 mi |
| St Patrick Elementary SchoolSheldon | Pre-K–8 | 46 | Roman Catholic | 0.7 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.