Maxwell, IA · standard
ZIP Code 50161
Story County, Iowa - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 2,047
- 10/sq mi Low-density area
- $98,519
- Median income Above-median income area
- $256,500
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 31.8%
- Bachelor's or higher Above-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Maxwell pairs an upper-quartile household income with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 20%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 41%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 10
- people per sq mi
- 89%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 50161 against every reporting US ZIP.
FHFA HPI release change
What changed in the latest House Price Index year
- FHFA House Price Index values in ZIP 50161 (Maxwell, IA) rose +8.5% from 2023 to 2024.
ZIP code 50161 covers 211.0 square miles in Maxwell, Story County, Iowa (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 2,047 residents on file, a density of 10 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 50161 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $98,519 (29% above the average Iowa ZIP), while per-capita income is $50,451. Both reported hardship measures are comparatively low in absolute terms: poverty is 2.3% and unemployment is 1.9%. Housing is both higher-cost and owner-heavy: median home value is $256,500 (46% above the average Iowa ZIP), while 89.4% of occupied homes are owner-occupied and median rent is $1,063.
A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 31.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 40.9, and the average commute is 33 minutes. The page also surfaces 5 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Story County, so 50161 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →
Top industries in ZIP 50161
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Maxwell, IA
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 50161.
- Construction
Construction
11 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
6 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
5 establishments
- Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
5 establishments
- Wholesale trade 4
Wholesale trade
4 establishments
What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 50161, Maxwell, IA · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
2,047
Population
211.0
Area (sq mi)
10
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 50161?
40.9
Median Age
51.0%
Male
49.0%
Female
0.4%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$98,519
Median Household Income
+29% vs state ZIP avg
$50,451
Per Capita Income
2.3%
Poverty Rate
1.9%
Unemployment Rate
32.5 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 50161 ranks among Iowa ZIPs
Maxwell, IA household income vs. every Iowa ZIP code
Median household income among 911 reporting Iowa ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$98,519 Top 13% higher than 87% of 911 Iowa ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more Iowa ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
1,024housing units
1,024
Total Housing Units
884
Occupied Units
140
Vacant Units
2.60
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$256,500
Median Home Value
+46% vs state ZIP avg
$1,063
Median Rent
1973
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 40 business establishments in ZIP 50161, employing approximately 135 people with a combined annual payroll of $5,012,000.
40
Businesses
135
Employees
$5.0M
Annual Payroll
5
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 11 | 27.5% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 6 | 15.0% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 5 | 12.5% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 5 | 12.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 4 | 10.0% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 50161 vs 50055 →
ZIP 50161 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 50035
Bondurant (50035)
5,387 residents
- 50161 2,047
Maxwell (50161)
2,047 residents
- 50046 1,524
Cambridge (50046)
1,524 residents
- 50073 1,195
Elkhart (50073)
1,195 residents
- 50055 913
Collins (50055)
913 residents
- 50168 842
Mingo (50168)
842 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 50161 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 50161 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 50035
Bondurant (50035)
$134,906 median income
- 50168
Mingo (50168)
$113,750 median income
- 50073
Elkhart (50073)
$100,972 median income
- 50161
Maxwell (50161)
$98,519 median income
- 50055
Collins (50055)
$85,278 median income
- 50046
Cambridge (50046)
$81,500 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 50161 ranks #4 of 6 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 50161, both outside IA so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (2,047 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Story County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 50161 in?
ZIP code 50161 (Maxwell) is located in Story County, Iowa. Story County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/story-ia.
What is the population of ZIP code 50161?
ZIP code 50161 in Maxwell, IA has a population of 2,047 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 50161?
The median household income in ZIP 50161 is $98,519, which is 29% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 50161?
The median home value in ZIP 50161 is $256,500, which is 8% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 50161?
The largest racial group in ZIP 50161 is White at 91.9%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 6.1% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 50161?
ZIP code 50161 has 40 business establishments employing approximately 135 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 50161?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 50161 are: Construction (11), Other services (except public administration) (6), Professional, scientific, and technical services (5). There are 5 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 50161?
In ZIP code 50161, 58.1% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 31.8% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 50161?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 50161 is 32.5 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 50161?
In ZIP code 50161, approximately 89.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 10.6% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 50161?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 50161 is 2.3% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 50161's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 50161 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Maxwell, IA ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.