Russell, IA · standard
ZIP Code 50238
Lucas County, Iowa — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 1,182
- 4/sq mi
- $59,625
- Median income
- $83,300
- Median home value
- 14.5%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Russell pairs a below-median household income with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 28th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 5th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 4
- people per sq mi
- 89%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 50238 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 50238 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 303.1 square miles in Russell, Lucas County, Iowa. The area is home to 1,182 residents, producing a population density of 4 people per square mile, and falls within the Chicago time zone. These USPS and Census boundary values drive every downstream statistic on this page, including the benchmarks that compare 50238 against Iowa and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 50238 sits at $59,625 (22% below the Iowa average), while per-capita income is $30,714. The poverty rate stands at 15.9% and the unemployment rate at 3.5%. On housing, the median home value is $83,300 (53% below the state average) with median rent at $700 per month, and 88.6% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 50238 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 14.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 41.3, and the average commute is —. We also surface 4 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 4 additional ZIPs sharing Lucas County, so you can benchmark 50238 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone. Every figure is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, HUD Fair Market Rents, and FHFA Home Price Index data, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with HUD →
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 50238, Russell, IA · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; HUD FMR + FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
1,182
Population
303.1
Area (sq mi)
4
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 50238?
41.3
Median Age
53.6%
Male
46.4%
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?
$59,625
Median Household Income
-22% vs state
$30,714
Per Capita Income
15.9%
Poverty Rate
3.5%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 50238 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$59,625 28th percentile higher than 28% of 30,318 US ZIPs
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?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
600
Total Housing Units
519
Occupied Units
81
Vacant Units
2.30
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$83,300
Median Home Value
-53% vs state
$700
Median Rent
1948
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 13 business establishments in ZIP 50238, employing approximately 44 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,363,000.
13
Businesses
44
Employees
$1.4M
Annual Payroll
1
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Other services (except public administration) | 4 | 30.8% |
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 50238 vs 52569 →
ZIP 50238 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 50049
Chariton (50049)
6,493 residents
- 50238 1,182
Russell (50238)
1,182 residents
- 52569 610
Melrose (52569)
610 residents
- 50272 152
Williamson (50272)
152 residents
- 50165 49
Millerton (50165)
49 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 50238 ranks #2 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 50238 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 50165
Millerton (50165)
$89,375 median income
- 50049
Chariton (50049)
$61,190 median income
- 50238
Russell (50238)
$59,625 median income
- 52569
Melrose (52569)
$51,477 median income
- 50272
Williamson (50272)
$45,000 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 50238 ranks #3 of 5 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
More ZIP Codes in Lucas County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 50238 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 50238? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 50238? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 50238? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 50238? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 50238? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 50238? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 50238? ▼
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ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Russell, IA
Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.
Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.