PlainZIP

Des Moines, IA · standard

ZIP Code 50309

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

5,431
744/sq mi
$56,777
Median income
$292,500
Median home value
61.5%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Des Moines pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with above-median home values, in a low-density, renter-heavy area.

24th pct
household income, US ZIPs
Top 35%
home value, US ZIPs
744
people per sq mi
11%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 50309 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 50309 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa, home to 5,431 residents across 7.3 square miles, a density of 744 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 50309 reports a modest median household income of $56,777 (26% below the Iowa average), while per-capita income is $57,597. The poverty rate stands at 18.6% and the unemployment rate at 4.4%. Housing costs here run $292,500 for a typical home value (67% above the state average), with rent averaging $1,223 a month; 10.6% of homes are owner-occupied.

This is a highly-educated ZIP: 61.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 28.4, and the average commute is 13 minutes. To put 50309 in local context, 10 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles appear further down this page alongside 6 additional ZIPs in Polk County, for a geography-aware comparison.

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 →

Top industries in ZIP 50309

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Des Moines, IA

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 50309.

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 · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

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 50309, Des Moines, 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

5,431

Population

7.3

Area (sq mi)

744

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 50309?

28.4

Median Age

52.0%

Male

48.0%

Female

7.6%

Foreign-Born

White 66.6%
African American 17.0%
Asian 3.7%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 11.9%
Hispanic or Latino 8.9%

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?

$56,777

Median Household Income

-26% vs state

$57,597

Per Capita Income

18.6%

Poverty Rate

4.4%

Unemployment Rate

13.3 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 50309 ranks nationally

Des Moines, IA household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$56,777 24th percentile higher than 24% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $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 74.4%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 61.5%

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

What does housing look like?

8,069

Total Housing Units

7,154

Occupied Units

915

Vacant Units

1.37

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 10.6%
Renter 89.4%

$292,500

Median Home Value

+67% vs state

$1,223

Median Rent

1992

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 1,186 business establishments in ZIP 50309, employing approximately 38,489 people with a combined annual payroll of $3,147,324,000.

1,186

Businesses

38,489

Employees

$3.1B

Annual Payroll

17

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Professional, scientific, and technical services 253 21.3%
Accommodation and food services 158 13.3%
Health care and social assistance 136 11.5%
Other services (except public administration) 124 10.5%
Finance and insurance 93 7.8%
Real estate and rental and leasing 69 5.8%
Retail trade 68 5.7%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 61 5.1%
Information 51 4.3%
Wholesale trade 36 3.0%
Construction 33 2.8%
Transportation and warehousing 29 2.5%
Management of companies and enterprises 24 2.0%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 24 2.0%
Manufacturing 18 1.5%
Educational services 6 0.5%
Utilities 3 0.3%

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 50309 vs 50319 →

ZIP 50309 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 50309 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 50309 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 50309 ranks #8 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
50319 Des Moines, IA 0 0.9 mi
50314 Des Moines, IA 12,465 1.5 mi
50315 Des Moines, IA 35,853 2.7 mi
50316 Des Moines, IA 16,440 2.0 mi
50312 Des Moines, IA 15,339 2.9 mi
50311 Des Moines, IA 15,113 2.9 mi
50313 Des Moines, IA 17,376 4.8 mi
50310 Des Moines, IA 30,221 4.0 mi
50321 Des Moines, IA 7,846 4.1 mi
50317 Des Moines, IA 36,207 4.4 mi

More ZIP Codes in Polk County

50317 standard
Des Moines, IA
Pop: 36,207
50315 standard
Des Moines, IA
Pop: 35,853
50265 standard
West Des Moines, IA
Pop: 31,653
50322 standard
Urbandale, IA
Pop: 31,530
50310 standard
Des Moines, IA
Pop: 30,221
50023 standard
Ankeny, IA
Pop: 27,986

Related Areas

Polk County Des Moines, IA Iowa

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 50309 in? ▼
ZIP code 50309 (Des Moines) is located in Polk County, Iowa. Polk County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/polk-ia.
What is the population of ZIP code 50309? ▼
ZIP code 50309 in Des Moines, IA has a population of 5,431 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 50309? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 50309 is $56,777, which is 26% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 50309? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 50309 is $292,500, which is 5% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 50309? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 50309 is White at 66.6%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 8.9% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 50309? ▼
ZIP code 50309 has 1,186 business establishments employing approximately 38,489 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 50309? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 50309 are: Professional, scientific, and technical services (253), Accommodation and food services (158), Health care and social assistance (136). There are 17 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 50309? ▼
In ZIP code 50309, 74.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 61.5% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 50309? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 50309 is 13.3 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 50309? ▼
In ZIP code 50309, approximately 10.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 89.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 50309? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 50309 is 18.6% 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.