PlainZIP

Ringsted, IA · standard

ZIP Code 50578

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

646
3/sq mi
$71,645
Median income
$106,500
Median home value
22.5%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

49th pct
household income, US ZIPs
12th pct
home value, US ZIPs
3
people per sq mi
82%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 50578 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 50578 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Ringsted, Emmet County, Iowa, home to just 646 residents across 190.0 square miles, a density of 3 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 50578 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $71,645 (6% below the Iowa average), while per-capita income is $40,171. The poverty rate stands at 20.2% and the unemployment rate at 1.9%. On housing, the median home value is $106,500 (39% below the state average) with median rent at $658 per month, and 82.3% of occupied units are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 22.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 43.1, and the average commute is 22 minutes. To put 50578 in local context, 2 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles appear further down this page alongside 4 additional ZIPs in Emmet 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 50578, Ringsted, 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

646

Population

190.0

Area (sq mi)

3

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 50578?

43.1

Median Age

49.9%

Male

50.1%

Female

0.2%

Foreign-Born

White 93.8%
African American 0.3%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 5.7%
Hispanic or Latino 0.5%

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?

$71,645

Median Household Income

-6% vs state

$40,171

Per Capita Income

20.2%

Poverty Rate

1.9%

Unemployment Rate

21.6 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 50578 ranks nationally

Ringsted, IA household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$71,645 49th percentile higher than 49% 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 57.2%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 22.5%

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

What does housing look like?

351

Total Housing Units

277

Occupied Units

74

Vacant Units

2.29

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 82.3%
Renter 17.7%

$106,500

Median Home Value

-39% vs state

$658

Median Rent

1947

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 8 business establishments in ZIP 50578, employing approximately 32 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,460,000.

8

Businesses

32

Employees

$1.5M

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 50578 vs 50539 →

ZIP 50578 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 50578 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 50578 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 50578 ranks #2 of 3 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
50539 Fenton, IA 566 7.7 mi
50514 Armstrong, IA 1,452 8.9 mi

More ZIP Codes in Emmet County

51334 standard
Estherville, IA
Pop: 7,661
50514 standard
Armstrong, IA
Pop: 1,452
51365 standard
Wallingford, IA
Pop: 453
50531 standard
Dolliver, IA
Pop: 242

Related Areas

Emmet County Ringsted, IA Iowa

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 50578 in? ▼
ZIP code 50578 (Ringsted) is located in Emmet County, Iowa. Emmet County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/emmet-ia.
What is the population of ZIP code 50578? ▼
ZIP code 50578 in Ringsted, IA has a population of 646 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 50578? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 50578 is $71,645, which is 6% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 50578? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 50578 is $106,500, which is 62% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 50578? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 50578 is White at 93.8%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 0.5% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 50578? ▼
ZIP code 50578 has 8 business establishments employing approximately 32 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 50578? ▼
In ZIP code 50578, 57.2% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 22.5% 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 50578? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 50578 is 21.6 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 50578? ▼
In ZIP code 50578, approximately 82.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 17.7% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 50578? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 50578 is 20.2% 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.