Stratford, IA · standard
ZIP Code 50249
Hamilton County, Iowa — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 1,332
- 7/sq mi
- $60,761
- Median income
- $119,000
- Median home value
- 17.4%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Stratford pairs a below-median household income with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 30th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 16th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 7
- people per sq mi
- 85%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 50249 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 50249 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 201.8 square miles in Stratford, Hamilton County, Iowa. The area is home to 1,332 residents, producing a population density of 7 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 50249 against Iowa and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 50249 sits at $60,761 (21% below the Iowa average), while per-capita income is $37,097. The poverty rate stands at 7.4% and the unemployment rate at 0.9%. On housing, the median home value is $119,000 (32% below the state average) with median rent at $625 per month, and 84.9% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 50249 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 17.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 58.6, and the average commute is 25 minutes. We also surface 4 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Hamilton County, so you can benchmark 50249 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 →
Top industries in ZIP 50249
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 50249.
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
4 establishments
- Construction
Construction
3 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
3 establishments
- Transportation and warehousing
Transportation and warehousing
3 establishments
What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.
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 50249, Stratford, 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
1,332
Population
201.8
Area (sq mi)
7
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 50249?
58.6
Median Age
48.7%
Male
51.3%
Female
1.1%
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?
$60,761
Median Household Income
-21% vs state
$37,097
Per Capita Income
7.4%
Poverty Rate
0.9%
Unemployment Rate
24.5 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 50249 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$60,761 30th percentile higher than 30% 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?
668
Total Housing Units
610
Occupied Units
58
Vacant Units
2.07
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$119,000
Median Home Value
-32% vs state
$625
Median Rent
1962
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 24 business establishments in ZIP 50249, employing approximately 110 people with a combined annual payroll of $5,406,000.
24
Businesses
110
Employees
$5.4M
Annual Payroll
4
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Other services (except public administration) | 4 | 16.7% |
| Construction | 3 | 12.5% |
| Retail trade | 3 | 12.5% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 3 | 12.5% |
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 50249 vs 50246 →
ZIP 50249 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 50249
Stratford (50249)
1,332 residents
- 50530
Dayton (50530)
1,205 residents
- 50557
Lehigh (50557)
750 residents
- 50246
Stanhope (50246)
735 residents
- 50223 480
Pilot Mound (50223)
480 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 50249 ranks the most populous — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 50249 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 50530
Dayton (50530)
$73,250 median income
- 50557
Lehigh (50557)
$62,750 median income
- 50246
Stanhope (50246)
$61,324 median income
- 50249
Stratford (50249)
$60,761 median income
- 50223
Pilot Mound (50223)
$47,222 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 50249 ranks #4 of 5 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
More ZIP Codes in Hamilton County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 50249 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 50249? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 50249? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 50249? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 50249? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 50249? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 50249? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 50249? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 50249? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 50249? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 50249? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Stratford, 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.