PlainZIP

Paton, IA · standard

ZIP Code 50217

Greene County, Iowa - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

631
4/sq mi
$66,771
Median income
$134,700
Median home value
18.8%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Paton pairs a below-median household income with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

41th pct
household income, US ZIPs
21th pct
home value, US ZIPs
4
people per sq mi
79%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 50217 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 50217 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Paton, Greene County, Iowa, home to just 631 residents across 180.3 square miles, a density of 4 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 50217 reports a modest median household income of $66,771 (13% below the Iowa average), while per-capita income is $34,233. Poverty here runs at 6.6%, with unemployment measured at 1.4%. Housing costs here run $134,700 for a typical home value (23% below the state average), with rent averaging $726 a month; 78.9% of homes are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 18.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 39.2, and the average commute is 28 minutes. To put 50217 in local context, 4 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles appear further down this page alongside 6 additional ZIPs in Greene County, for a geography-aware comparison.

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 →

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 50217, Paton, 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

631

Population

180.3

Area (sq mi)

4

People / sq mi

Chicago

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 50217?

39.2

Median Age

54.2%

Male

45.8%

Female

1.2%

Foreign-Born

White 97.0%
African American 0.0%
Asian 1.2%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 1.8%
Hispanic or Latino 5.2%

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?

$66,771

Median Household Income

-13% vs state

$34,233

Per Capita Income

6.6%

Poverty Rate

1.4%

Unemployment Rate

28.0 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 50217 ranks nationally

Paton, IA household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$66,771 41st percentile higher than 41% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US 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?

High School Graduate or Higher 71.4%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 18.8%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

284

Total Housing Units

232

Occupied Units

52

Vacant Units

2.42

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 78.9%
Renter 21.1%

$134,700

Median Home Value

-23% vs state

$726

Median Rent

1938

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 12 business establishments in ZIP 50217, employing approximately 294 people with a combined annual payroll of $16,952,000.

12

Businesses

294

Employees

$17.0M

Annual Payroll

1

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Wholesale trade 3 25.0%

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 50217 vs 50064 →

ZIP 50217 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 50217 ranks #3 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 50217 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 50217 ranks #4 of 5 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
50064 Dana, IA 126 4.6 mi
50544 Harcourt, IA 515 6.7 mi
50543 Gowrie, IA 1,492 7.5 mi
50107 Grand Junction, IA 1,099 9.4 mi

More ZIP Codes in Greene County

50129 standard
Jefferson, IA
Pop: 5,228
50107 standard
Grand Junction, IA
Pop: 1,099
51462 standard
Scranton, IA
Pop: 1,013
50050 standard
Churdan, IA
Pop: 710
50235 standard
Rippey, IA
Pop: 483
50064 standard
Dana, IA
Pop: 126

Related Areas

Greene County Paton, IA Iowa

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 50217 in? ▼
ZIP code 50217 (Paton) is located in Greene County, Iowa. Greene County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/greene-ia.
What is the population of ZIP code 50217? ▼
ZIP code 50217 in Paton, IA has a population of 631 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 50217? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 50217 is $66,771, which is 12% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 50217? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 50217 is $134,700, which is 52% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 50217? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 50217 is White at 97.0%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 5.2% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 50217? ▼
ZIP code 50217 has 12 business establishments employing approximately 294 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 50217? ▼
In ZIP code 50217, 71.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 18.8% 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 50217? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 50217 is 28.0 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 50217? ▼
In ZIP code 50217, approximately 78.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 21.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 50217? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 50217 is 6.6% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.