Fontanelle, IA · standard
ZIP Code 50846
Adair County, Iowa - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 1,123
- 5/sq mi Low-density area
- $74,200
- Median income Near-median income area
- $108,800
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 17.3%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Fontanelle 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
- 12th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 5
- people per sq mi
- 68%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 50846 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 50846 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Fontanelle, Adair County, Iowa, home to just 1,123 residents across 238.9 square miles, a density of 5 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 50846 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $74,200 (3% below the average Iowa ZIP), while per-capita income is $48,788. The poverty rate is 3.4%, with unemployment at 5.5%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $108,800 (38% below the average Iowa ZIP), and median rent is $839; owner occupancy is 67.7%.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 17.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 42, and the average commute is 25 minutes. The page also surfaces 1 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 5 more in Adair County, so 50846 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
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 50846
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Fontanelle, IA
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 50846.
- Construction
Construction
5 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
3 establishments
- Transportation and warehousing
Transportation and warehousing
3 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 + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 50846, Fontanelle, 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
1,123
Population
238.9
Area (sq mi)
5
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 50846?
42.0
Median Age
47.3%
Male
52.7%
Female
0.4%
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?
$74,200
Median Household Income
-3% vs state ZIP avg
$48,788
Per Capita Income
3.4%
Poverty Rate
5.5%
Unemployment Rate
24.7 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 50846 ranks among Iowa ZIPs
Fontanelle, IA household income vs. every Iowa ZIP code
Median household income among 911 reporting Iowa ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$74,200 Top 49% higher than 51% of 911 Iowa ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more Iowa 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?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
636housing units
636
Total Housing Units
560
Occupied Units
76
Vacant Units
2.21
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$108,800
Median Home Value
-38% vs state ZIP avg
$839
Median Rent
1955
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 16 business establishments in ZIP 50846, employing approximately 123 people with a combined annual payroll of $6,292,000.
16
Businesses
123
Employees
$6.3M
Annual Payroll
3
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 5 | 31.3% |
| Retail trade | 3 | 18.8% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 3 | 18.8% |
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 50846 vs 50837 →
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50837 | Bridgewater, IA | 376 | 8.0 mi |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 50846, both outside IA so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (1,123 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Adair County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 50846 in?
ZIP code 50846 (Fontanelle) is located in Adair County, Iowa. Adair County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/adair-ia.
What is the population of ZIP code 50846?
ZIP code 50846 in Fontanelle, IA has a population of 1,123 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 50846?
The median household income in ZIP 50846 is $74,200, which is 3% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 50846?
The median home value in ZIP 50846 is $108,800, which is 61% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 50846?
The largest racial group in ZIP 50846 is White at 96.3%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 1.4% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 50846?
ZIP code 50846 has 16 business establishments employing approximately 123 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 50846?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 50846 are: Construction (5), Retail trade (3), Transportation and warehousing (3). There are 3 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 50846?
In ZIP code 50846, 58.2% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 17.3% 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 50846?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 50846 is 24.7 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 50846?
In ZIP code 50846, approximately 67.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 32.3% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 50846?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 50846 is 3.4% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 50846's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 50846 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Fontanelle, IA ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
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ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.