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 Low-density area
- $59,625
- Median income Below-median income area
- $83,300
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 14.5%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
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 a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Russell, Lucas County, Iowa, home to just 1,182 residents across 303.1 square miles, a density of 4 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 50238 reports a modest median household income of $59,625 (22% below the average Iowa ZIP), while per-capita income is $30,714. The poverty rate is 15.9%, with unemployment at 3.5%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $83,300 (53% below the average Iowa ZIP), and median rent is $700; owner occupancy is 88.6%.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 14.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 41.3, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 4 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 4 more in Lucas County, so 50238 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 50238, Russell, 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
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 ZIP avg
$30,714
Per Capita Income
15.9%
Poverty Rate
3.5%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 50238 ranks among Iowa ZIPs
Russell, 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)
$59,625 17th percentile higher than 17% 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
600housing units
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 ZIP avg
$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.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 50238, 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 (1,182 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Lucas County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 50238 in?
ZIP code 50238 (Russell) is located in Lucas County, Iowa. Lucas County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/lucas-ia.
What is the population of ZIP code 50238?
ZIP code 50238 in Russell, IA has a population of 1,182 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 50238?
The median household income in ZIP 50238 is $59,625, which is 22% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 50238?
The median home value in ZIP 50238 is $83,300, which is 70% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 50238?
The largest racial group in ZIP 50238 is White at 97.4%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 0.1% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 50238?
ZIP code 50238 has 13 business establishments employing approximately 44 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 50238?
In ZIP code 50238, 39.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 14.5% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 50238?
In ZIP code 50238, approximately 88.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 11.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 50238?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 50238 is 15.9% 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 50238's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 50238 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Russell, 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.