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 classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 212.0 square miles in West Bend, Palo Alto County, Iowa. The area is home to 1,293 residents, producing a population density of 6 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 50597 against Iowa and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 50597 sits at $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%. On housing, the median home value is $179,700 (2% above the state average) with median rent at $613 per month, and 88.1% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 50597 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 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 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 50597
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 50597.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
10 establishments
- Transportation and warehousing
Transportation and warehousing
10 establishments
- Construction
Construction
7 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
5 establishments
- Wholesale trade
Wholesale trade
4 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 50597, West Bend, 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
1,293
Population
212.0
Area (sq mi)
6
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 50597?
37.5
Median Age
47.0%
Male
53.0%
Female
2.0%
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?
$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
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
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?
548
Total Housing Units
494
Occupied Units
54
Vacant Units
2.63
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$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.
- 50597
West Bend (50597)
1,293 residents
- 50581
Rolfe (50581)
996 residents
- 50598
Whittemore (50598)
912 residents
- 50570 248
Ottosen (50570)
248 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 50597 ranks the most populous — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 50597 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 50597
West Bend (50597)
$92,000 median income
- 50598
Whittemore (50598)
$78,558 median income
- 50570
Ottosen (50570)
$67,813 median income
- 50581
Rolfe (50581)
$57,500 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.
More ZIP Codes in Palo Alto County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 50597 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 50597? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 50597? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 50597? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 50597? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 50597? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 50597? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 50597? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 50597? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 50597? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 50597? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for West Bend, 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.