Goldfield, IA · standard

ZIP Code 50542

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

933
5/sq mi
$55,000
Median income
$138,400
Median home value
24.7%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Goldfield pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

21th pct
household income, US ZIPs
22th pct
home value, US ZIPs
5
people per sq mi
85%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 50542 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 50542 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 172.8 square miles in Goldfield, Wright County, Iowa. The area is home to 933 residents, producing a population density of 5 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 50542 against Iowa and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 50542 sits at $55,000 (28% below the Iowa average), while per-capita income is $39,161. The poverty rate stands at 9.8% and the unemployment rate at 0.0%. On housing, the median home value is $138,400 (21% below the state average) with median rent at $607 per month, and 84.5% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 50542 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 24.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 46.6, and the average commute is 22 minutes. We also surface 5 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Wright County, so you can benchmark 50542 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 50542

Top 5 sectors by establishment count

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 50542.

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 + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 50542, Goldfield, 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

933

Population

172.8

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 50542?

46.6

Median Age

50.4%

Male

49.6%

Female

0.5%

Foreign-Born

White 91.7%
African American 0.0%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 6.6%
Hispanic or Latino 5.2%

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?

$55,000

Median Household Income

-28% vs state

$39,161

Per Capita Income

9.8%

Poverty Rate

0.0%

Unemployment Rate

22.0 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 50542 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$55,000 21st percentile higher than 21% 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 57.9%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 24.7%

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

What does housing look like?

440

Total Housing Units

368

Occupied Units

72

Vacant Units

2.33

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 84.5%
Renter 15.5%

$138,400

Median Home Value

-21% vs state

$607

Median Rent

1938

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 30 business establishments in ZIP 50542, employing approximately 173 people with a combined annual payroll of $6,789,000.

30

Businesses

173

Employees

$6.8M

Annual Payroll

6

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Wholesale trade 5 16.7%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 4 13.3%
Other services (except public administration) 4 13.3%
Manufacturing 3 10.0%
Retail trade 3 10.0%
Accommodation and food services 3 10.0%

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 50542 vs 50577 →

ZIP 50542 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 50542 ranks #3 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 50542 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 50542 ranks #5 of 6 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
50577 Renwick, IA 410 5.8 mi
50545 Hardy, IA 205 7.1 mi
50533 Eagle Grove, IA 4,130 8.8 mi
50591 Thor, IA 320 9.0 mi
50447 Kanawha, IA 1,081 12.6 mi

More ZIP Codes in Wright County

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 50542 in?
ZIP code 50542 (Goldfield) is located in Wright County, Iowa. Wright County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/wright-ia.
What is the population of ZIP code 50542?
ZIP code 50542 in Goldfield, IA has a population of 933 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 50542?
The median household income in ZIP 50542 is $55,000, which is 28% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 50542?
The median home value in ZIP 50542 is $138,400, which is 50% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 50542?
The largest racial group in ZIP 50542 is White at 91.7%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 5.2% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 50542?
ZIP code 50542 has 30 business establishments employing approximately 173 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 50542?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 50542 are: Wholesale trade (5), Professional, scientific, and technical services (4), Other services (except public administration) (4). There are 6 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 50542?
In ZIP code 50542, 57.9% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 24.7% 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 50542?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 50542 is 22.0 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 50542?
In ZIP code 50542, approximately 84.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 15.5% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 50542?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 50542 is 9.8% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

ZIP Code Research Guides

Official Data Resources for Goldfield, IA

Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.