PlainZIP

West Bend, IA · standard

ZIP Code 50597

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

1,293
6/sq mi
$92,000
Median income
$179,700
Median home value
23.2%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

West Bend pairs an upper-quartile household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 25%
household income, US ZIPs
38th pct
home value, US ZIPs
6
people per sq mi
88%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 50597 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 50597 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in West Bend, Palo Alto County, Iowa, home to just 1,293 residents across 212.0 square miles, a density of 6 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 50597 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $92,000 (20% above the Iowa average), while per-capita income is $43,214. The poverty rate stands at 5.5% and the unemployment rate at 1.8%. Housing costs here run $179,700 for a typical home value (2% above the state average), with rent averaging $613 a month; 88.1% of homes are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 23.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 37.5, and the average commute is 16 minutes. We also surface 3 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Palo Alto County, so you can benchmark 50597 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone.

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 50597

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in West Bend, IA

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 50597.

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 50597, West Bend, 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

1,293

Population

212.0

Area (sq mi)

6

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 50597?

37.5

Median Age

47.0%

Male

53.0%

Female

2.0%

Foreign-Born

White 91.5%
African American 0.7%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 5.3%
Hispanic or Latino 7.6%

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?

$92,000

Median Household Income

+20% vs state

$43,214

Per Capita Income

5.5%

Poverty Rate

1.8%

Unemployment Rate

16.1 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 50597 ranks nationally

West Bend, IA household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$92,000 Top 25% higher than 75% 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%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). This entry sits in this band. $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 53.8%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 23.2%

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

What does housing look like?

548

Total Housing Units

494

Occupied Units

54

Vacant Units

2.63

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 88.1%
Renter 11.9%

$179,700

Median Home Value

+2% vs state

$613

Median Rent

1962

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 54 business establishments in ZIP 50597, employing approximately 463 people with a combined annual payroll of $18,621,000.

54

Businesses

463

Employees

$18.6M

Annual Payroll

7

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 10 18.5%
Transportation and warehousing 10 18.5%
Construction 7 13.0%
Other services (except public administration) 5 9.3%
Wholesale trade 4 7.4%
Health care and social assistance 4 7.4%
Accommodation and food services 4 7.4%

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 50597 vs 50598 →

ZIP 50597 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 50597 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 50597 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 50597 ranks the highest of 4 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
50598 Whittemore, IA 912 7.5 mi
50570 Ottosen, IA 248 7.0 mi
50581 Rolfe, IA 996 10.0 mi

More ZIP Codes in Palo Alto County

50536 standard
Emmetsburg, IA
Pop: 4,541
51358 standard
Ruthven, IA
Pop: 1,310
51342 standard
Graettinger, IA
Pop: 1,249
50562 standard
Mallard, IA
Pop: 527
50528 standard
Cylinder, IA
Pop: 383
50515 standard
Ayrshire, IA
Pop: 279

Related Areas

Palo Alto County West Bend, IA Iowa

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 50597 in? ▼
ZIP code 50597 (West Bend) is located in Palo Alto County, Iowa. Palo Alto County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/palo-alto-ia.
What is the population of ZIP code 50597? ▼
ZIP code 50597 in West Bend, IA has a population of 1,293 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 50597? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 50597 is $92,000, which is 21% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 50597? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 50597 is $179,700, which is 35% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 50597? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 50597 is White at 91.5%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 7.6% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 50597? ▼
ZIP code 50597 has 54 business establishments employing approximately 463 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 50597? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 50597 are: Retail trade (10), Transportation and warehousing (10), Construction (7). There are 7 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 50597? ▼
In ZIP code 50597, 53.8% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 23.2% 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 50597? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 50597 is 16.1 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 50597? ▼
In ZIP code 50597, approximately 88.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 11.9% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 50597? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 50597 is 5.5% 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.