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 Low-density area
- $66,771
- Median income Near-median income area
- $134,700
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 18.8%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Paton pairs a below-median household income with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 41st pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 21st 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 average Iowa ZIP), while per-capita income is $34,233. Both reported hardship measures are comparatively low in absolute terms: poverty is 6.6% and unemployment is 1.4%. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $134,700 (23% below the average Iowa ZIP), and median rent is $726; owner occupancy is 78.9%.
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. The page also surfaces 4 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Greene County, so 50217 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 →
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
Who lives in ZIP 50217?
39.2
Median Age
54.2%
Male
45.8%
Female
1.2%
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?
$66,771
Median Household Income
-13% vs state ZIP avg
$34,233
Per Capita Income
6.6%
Poverty Rate
1.4%
Unemployment Rate
28.0 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 50217 ranks among Iowa ZIPs
Paton, 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)
$66,771 33rd percentile higher than 33% 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
284housing units
284
Total Housing Units
232
Occupied Units
52
Vacant Units
2.42
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$134,700
Median Home Value
-23% vs state ZIP avg
$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.
- 50543
Gowrie (50543)
1,492 residents
- 50107
Grand Junction (50107)
1,099 residents
- 50217
Paton (50217)
631 residents
- 50544 515
Harcourt (50544)
515 residents
- 50064 126
Dana (50064)
126 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 50217 ranks #3 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 50217 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 50064
Dana (50064)
$96,635 median income
- 50543
Gowrie (50543)
$91,563 median income
- 50107
Grand Junction (50107)
$69,022 median income
- 50217
Paton (50217)
$66,771 median income
- 50544
Harcourt (50544)
$59,620 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.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 50217, both outside IA so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Greene County
Related Areas
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.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 50217's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 50217 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Paton, 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.