PlainZIP

Alta Vista, IA · standard

ZIP Code 50603

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

625
5/sq mi
$74,271
Median income
$122,700
Median home value
6.7%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Alta Vista pairs an above-median household income with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 46%
household income, US ZIPs
18th pct
home value, US ZIPs
5
people per sq mi
87%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 50603 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 50603 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Alta Vista, Chickasaw County, Iowa, home to just 625 residents across 122.5 square miles, a density of 5 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 50603 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $74,271 (3% below the Iowa average), while per-capita income is $33,879. The poverty rate stands at 5.9% and the unemployment rate at 2.7%. Housing costs here run $122,700 for a typical home value (30% below the state average), with rent averaging $640 a month; 86.6% of homes are owner-occupied.

Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 6.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 41.3, and the average commute is -. To put 50603 in local context, 3 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles appear further down this page alongside 5 additional ZIPs in Chickasaw 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 50603, Alta Vista, 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

625

Population

122.5

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 50603?

41.3

Median Age

61.1%

Male

38.9%

Female

5.0%

Foreign-Born

White 95.0%
African American 0.0%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 5.0%
Hispanic or Latino 5.0%

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?

$74,271

Median Household Income

-3% vs state

$33,879

Per Capita Income

5.9%

Poverty Rate

2.7%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 50603 ranks nationally

Alta Vista, IA household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$74,271 Top 46% higher than 54% 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 45.6%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 6.7%

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

What does housing look like?

237

Total Housing Units

231

Occupied Units

6

Vacant Units

2.40

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 86.6%
Renter 13.4%

$122,700

Median Home Value

-30% vs state

$640

Median Rent

1946

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 13 business establishments in ZIP 50603, employing approximately 76 people with a combined annual payroll of $2,555,000.

13

Businesses

76

Employees

$2.6M

Annual Payroll

2

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 4 30.8%
Construction 3 23.1%

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 50603 vs 50628 →

ZIP 50603 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 50603 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 50603 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 50603 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
50628 Elma, IA 1,374 6.5 mi
50620 Colwell, IA 54 6.9 mi
50659 New Hampton, IA 5,488 9.7 mi

More ZIP Codes in Chickasaw County

50659 standard
New Hampton, IA
Pop: 5,488
50658 standard
Nashua, IA
Pop: 2,518
50630 standard
Fredericksburg, IA
Pop: 1,728
50645 standard
Ionia, IA
Pop: 1,204
52154 standard
Lawler, IA
Pop: 995

Related Areas

Chickasaw County Alta Vista, IA Iowa

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 50603 in? ▼
ZIP code 50603 (Alta Vista) is located in Chickasaw County, Iowa. Chickasaw County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/chickasaw-ia.
What is the population of ZIP code 50603? ▼
ZIP code 50603 in Alta Vista, IA has a population of 625 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 50603? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 50603 is $74,271, which is 3% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 50603? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 50603 is $122,700, which is 56% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 50603? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 50603 is White at 95.0%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 5.0% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 50603? ▼
ZIP code 50603 has 13 business establishments employing approximately 76 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 50603? ▼
In ZIP code 50603, 45.6% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 6.7% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 50603? ▼
In ZIP code 50603, approximately 86.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 13.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 50603? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 50603 is 5.9% 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.