PlainZIP

Sheldahl, IA · standard

ZIP Code 50243

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

244
171/sq mi
$80,938
Median income
$184,700
Median home value
31.1%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Sheldahl pairs an above-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 37%
household income, US ZIPs
39th pct
home value, US ZIPs
171
people per sq mi
93%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 50243 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 50243 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Sheldahl, Story County, Iowa, home to just 244 residents across 1.4 square miles, a density of 171 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 50243 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $80,938 (6% above the Iowa average), while per-capita income is $30,280. The poverty rate stands at 5.1% and the unemployment rate at 12.7%. Median home value sits at $184,700 (5% above the state average), median rent at - a month, and owner-occupancy at 93.0%.

A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 31.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 36, and the average commute is -. A geography-based comparison follows: 9 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 50243, plus 6 more within Story County, give a clearer read than the national average alone.

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 50243, Sheldahl, 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

244

Population

1.4

Area (sq mi)

171

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 50243?

36.0

Median Age

54.8%

Male

45.2%

Female

0.0%

Foreign-Born

White 98.9%
African American 0.0%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 0.3%
Hispanic or Latino 0.0%

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?

$80,938

Median Household Income

+6% vs state

$30,280

Per Capita Income

5.1%

Poverty Rate

12.7%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 50243 ranks nationally

Sheldahl, IA household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$80,938 Top 37% higher than 63% 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%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). This entry sits in this band. $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 54.0%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 31.1%

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

What does housing look like?

158

Total Housing Units

129

Occupied Units

29

Vacant Units

2.80

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 93.0%
Renter 7.0%

$184,700

Median Home Value

+5% vs state

1973

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 4 business establishments in ZIP 50243, employing approximately 19 people with a combined annual payroll of $368,000.

4

Businesses

19

Employees

$368K

Annual Payroll

0

Industry Sectors

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 50243 vs 50244 →

ZIP 50243 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 50243 ranks #0 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 50243 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 50243 ranks #null of 9 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
50244 Slater, IA 1,813 2.2 mi
50226 Polk City, IA 4,724 5.1 mi
50134 Kelley, IA 660 5.2 mi
50124 Huxley, IA 3,750 4.8 mi
50156 Madrid, IA 4,412 5.9 mi
50007 Alleman, IA 474 6.3 mi
50023 Ankeny, IA 27,986 9.9 mi
50109 Granger, IA 2,762 8.9 mi
50021 Ankeny, IA 21,595 11.9 mi

More ZIP Codes in Story County

50010 standard
Ames, IA
Pop: 29,359
50014 standard
Ames, IA
Pop: 28,094
50201 standard
Nevada, IA
Pop: 8,199
50248 standard
Story City, IA
Pop: 4,420
50012 standard
Ames, IA
Pop: 4,062
50124 standard
Huxley, IA
Pop: 3,750

Related Areas

Story County Sheldahl, IA Iowa

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 50243 in? ▼
ZIP code 50243 (Sheldahl) 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 50243? ▼
ZIP code 50243 in Sheldahl, IA has a population of 244 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 50243? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 50243 is $80,938, which is 6% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 50243? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 50243 is $184,700, which is 34% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 50243? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 50243 is White at 98.9%.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 50243? ▼
ZIP code 50243 has 4 business establishments employing approximately 19 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 50243? ▼
In ZIP code 50243, 54.0% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 31.1% 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 50243? ▼
In ZIP code 50243, approximately 93.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 7.0% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 50243? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 50243 is 5.1% 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.