PlainZIP

Thornton, IA · standard

ZIP Code 50479

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

684
5/sq mi
$68,750
Median income
$121,100
Median home value
21.0%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Thornton pairs a below-median household income with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

45th pct
household income, US ZIPs
17th pct
home value, US ZIPs
5
people per sq mi
87%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 50479 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 50479 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Thornton, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, home to just 684 residents across 148.7 square miles, a density of 5 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 50479 reports a modest median household income of $68,750 (10% below the Iowa average), while per-capita income is $35,464. Local economic indicators show a 8.7% poverty rate alongside 1.2% unemployment. Housing costs here run $121,100 for a typical home value (31% below the state average), with rent averaging $839 a month; 87.2% of homes are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 21.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 32.3, and the average commute is 24 minutes. To put 50479 in local context, 4 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles appear further down this page alongside 6 additional ZIPs in Cerro Gordo 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 →

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 50479, Thornton, 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

684

Population

148.7

Area (sq mi)

5

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 50479?

32.3

Median Age

52.4%

Male

47.6%

Female

0.5%

Foreign-Born

White 92.7%
African American 0.0%
Asian 0.2%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 6.0%
Hispanic or Latino 7.2%

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?

$68,750

Median Household Income

-10% vs state

$35,464

Per Capita Income

8.7%

Poverty Rate

1.2%

Unemployment Rate

23.7 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 50479 ranks nationally

Thornton, IA household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$68,750 45th percentile higher than 45% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $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 50.7%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 21.0%

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

What does housing look like?

319

Total Housing Units

288

Occupied Units

31

Vacant Units

2.27

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 87.2%
Renter 12.8%

$121,100

Median Home Value

-31% vs state

$839

Median Rent

1945

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 11 business establishments in ZIP 50479, employing approximately 47 people with a combined annual payroll of $2,952,000.

11

Businesses

47

Employees

$3.0M

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 50479 vs 50457 →

ZIP 50479 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 50479 ranks #2 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 50479 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 50479 ranks #2 of 5 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
50457 Meservey, IA 441 4.5 mi
50477 Swaledale, IA 347 5.4 mi
50420 Alexander, IA 377 9.7 mi
50449 Klemme, IA 724 8.6 mi

More ZIP Codes in Cerro Gordo County

50401 standard
Mason City, IA
Pop: 29,837
50428 standard
Clear Lake, IA
Pop: 9,384
50469 standard
Rockwell, IA
Pop: 1,574
50482 standard
Ventura, IA
Pop: 774
50464 standard
Plymouth, IA
Pop: 673
50457 standard
Meservey, IA
Pop: 441

Related Areas

Cerro Gordo County Thornton, IA Iowa

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 50479 in? ▼
ZIP code 50479 (Thornton) is located in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa. Cerro Gordo County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/cerro-gordo-ia.
What is the population of ZIP code 50479? ▼
ZIP code 50479 in Thornton, IA has a population of 684 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 50479? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 50479 is $68,750, which is 10% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 50479? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 50479 is $121,100, which is 56% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 50479? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 50479 is White at 92.7%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 7.2% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 50479? ▼
ZIP code 50479 has 11 business establishments employing approximately 47 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 50479? ▼
In ZIP code 50479, 50.7% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 21.0% 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 50479? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 50479 is 23.7 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 50479? ▼
In ZIP code 50479, approximately 87.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 12.8% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 50479? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 50479 is 8.7% 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.