Zearing, IA · standard
ZIP Code 50278
Story County, Iowa - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 842
- 6/sq mi Low-density area
- $74,306
- Median income Near-median income area
- $193,000
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 35.1%
- Bachelor's or higher Above-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Zearing pairs an above-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 46%
- household income, US ZIPs
- 42nd pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 6
- people per sq mi
- 83%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 50278 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 50278 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Zearing, Story County, Iowa, home to just 842 residents across 138.0 square miles, a density of 6 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 50278 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $74,306 (3% below the average Iowa ZIP), while per-capita income is $35,680. The poverty rate is 13.7%, with unemployment at 0.0%; those measures add context to the income figure. Median home value is $193,000 (10% above the average Iowa ZIP) and median rent is $693; 83.4% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 35.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 37.6, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 7 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Story County, so 50278 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 50278, Zearing, 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
842
Population
138.0
Area (sq mi)
6
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 50278?
37.6
Median Age
54.7%
Male
45.3%
Female
8.2%
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?
$74,306
Median Household Income
-3% vs state ZIP avg
$35,680
Per Capita Income
13.7%
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 50278 ranks among Iowa ZIPs
Zearing, 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)
$74,306 Top 49% higher than 51% 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
352housing units
352
Total Housing Units
337
Occupied Units
15
Vacant Units
2.56
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$193,000
Median Home Value
+10% vs state ZIP avg
$693
Median Rent
1956
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 20 business establishments in ZIP 50278, employing approximately 98 people with a combined annual payroll of $5,339,000.
20
Businesses
98
Employees
$5.3M
Annual Payroll
1
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation and warehousing | 4 | 20.0% |
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 50278 vs 50239 →
ZIP 50278 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 50201
Nevada (50201)
8,199 residents
- 50247 2,515
State Center (50247)
2,515 residents
- 50056 1,372
Colo (50056)
1,372 residents
- 50278 842
Zearing (50278)
842 residents
- 50206 526
New Providence (50206)
526 residents
- 50154 466
Mc Callsburg (50154)
466 residents
- 50239 210
Saint Anthony (50239)
210 residents
- 50102 87
Garden City (50102)
87 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 50278 ranks #4 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 50278 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 50239
Saint Anthony (50239)
$151,250 median income
- 50247
State Center (50247)
$91,875 median income
- 50201
Nevada (50201)
$81,027 median income
- 50206
New Providence (50206)
$79,306 median income
- 50278
Zearing (50278)
$74,306 median income
- 50056
Colo (50056)
$73,333 median income
- 50154
Mc Callsburg (50154)
$69,219 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 50278 ranks #5 of 7 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 50278, 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 Story County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 50278 in?
ZIP code 50278 (Zearing) 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 50278?
ZIP code 50278 in Zearing, IA has a population of 842 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 50278?
The median household income in ZIP 50278 is $74,306, which is 3% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 50278?
The median home value in ZIP 50278 is $193,000, which is 31% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 50278?
The largest racial group in ZIP 50278 is White at 89.2%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 9.7% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 50278?
ZIP code 50278 has 20 business establishments employing approximately 98 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 50278?
In ZIP code 50278, 60.8% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 35.1% 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 50278?
In ZIP code 50278, approximately 83.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 16.6% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 50278?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 50278 is 13.7% 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 50278's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 50278 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Zearing, 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.