Rockwell City, IA · standard
ZIP Code 50579
Calhoun County, Iowa — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 2,405
- 7/sq mi
- $61,108
- Median income
- $126,000
- Median home value
- 19.1%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Rockwell City pairs a below-median household income with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 31th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 19th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 7
- people per sq mi
- 78%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 50579 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 50579 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 353.7 square miles in Rockwell City, Calhoun County, Iowa. The area is home to 2,405 residents, producing a population density of 7 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 50579 against Iowa and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 50579 sits at $61,108 (20% below the Iowa average), while per-capita income is $30,688. The poverty rate stands at 9.1% and the unemployment rate at 1.2%. On housing, the median home value is $126,000 (28% below the state average) with median rent at $777 per month, and 78.2% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 50579 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 19.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 42.2, and the average commute is 23 minutes. We also surface 4 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Calhoun County, so you can benchmark 50579 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 50579
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 50579.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
15 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
11 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
10 establishments
- Transportation and warehousing
Transportation and warehousing
9 establishments
- Construction 5
Construction
5 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, 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 50579, Rockwell City, 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
2,405
Population
353.7
Area (sq mi)
7
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 50579?
42.2
Median Age
57.5%
Male
42.5%
Female
1.8%
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?
$61,108
Median Household Income
-20% vs state
$30,688
Per Capita Income
9.1%
Poverty Rate
1.2%
Unemployment Rate
22.7 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 50579 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$61,108 31st percentile higher than 31% of 30,318 US ZIPs
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?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
1,364
Total Housing Units
1,085
Occupied Units
279
Vacant Units
2.29
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$126,000
Median Home Value
-28% vs state
$777
Median Rent
1957
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 77 business establishments in ZIP 50579, employing approximately 378 people with a combined annual payroll of $14,896,000.
77
Businesses
378
Employees
$14.9M
Annual Payroll
9
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 15 | 19.5% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 11 | 14.3% |
| Health care and social assistance | 10 | 13.0% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 9 | 11.7% |
| Construction | 5 | 6.5% |
| Finance and insurance | 5 | 6.5% |
| Accommodation and food services | 5 | 6.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 3 | 3.9% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 3 | 3.9% |
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 50579 vs 50551 →
ZIP 50579 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 50563
Manson (50563)
2,500 residents
- 50579
Rockwell City (50579)
2,405 residents
- 51449
Lake City (51449)
2,128 residents
- 51453 695
Lohrville (51453)
695 residents
- 50551 158
Jolley (50551)
158 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 50579 ranks #2 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 50579 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 51453
Lohrville (51453)
$86,563 median income
- 51449
Lake City (51449)
$75,329 median income
- 50563
Manson (50563)
$71,094 median income
- 50579
Rockwell City (50579)
$61,108 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 50579 ranks #4 of 4 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
More ZIP Codes in Calhoun County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 50579 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 50579? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 50579? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 50579? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 50579? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 50579? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 50579? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 50579? ▼
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What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 50579? ▼
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ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Rockwell City, IA
Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.
Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.