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Iowa ZIP Codes
Polk County
Des Moines, IA
50312
50312 ZIP Code — Des Moines, IA
Polk County, Iowa
ZIP code 50312 is located in
Des Moines ,
Iowa ,
within Polk County .
It covers approximately 5.63 square miles and serves a population of
15,498 residents.
This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone,
served by area code 515 .
About ZIP code 50312
The housing stock consists of a significant share of large multi-unit buildings. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $259,500. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 65%.
The gap between median ($77,612) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 31% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.
The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 16 minutes is near the national average.
Educational attainment is high — 62% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.
Overall, ZIP code 50312 reflects a community defined by a highly educated population and a significant Social Security-dependent population.
50312 ZIP code map
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Cities in ZIP code 50312
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Nearby ZIP codes
Demographics
updated 06/2026
Population
Total population
15,498
Population density
2,753 / sq mi
State FIPS
19
County FIPS
153
Geography
Land area
5.63 sq mi
Water area
0.25 sq mi
Latitude
41.5785
Longitude
-93.6797
Timezone
Central (CT)
Area code
515
Economics
updated 06/2026
Household income
Income range
This ZIP
County avg
State avg
Under $50k
41.3%
34.3%
40.1%
$50k – $100k
25.9%
32.7%
33.4%
$100k – $200k
18.2%
25.7%
21.5%
Over $200k
14.6%
7.3%
5.0%
Demographics & statistics
$77,612
Median household income
$259,500
Median home value
$1,022
Median monthly rent
62.1%
Bachelor's or higher
Age distribution
Age summary
Group Count %
Under 18 2,971 19.2%
18 and over 12,527 80.8%
65 and over 3,236 20.9%
Median age 40.4 years
Race & ethnicity
Black or African American
2.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.5%
Group Count %
White 13,225 81.9%
Asian 804 5%
Two or more races 706 4.4%
Hispanic or Latino 652 4%
Black or African American 459 2.8%
Other race 228 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 76 0.5%
Household income
Income range
This ZIP
County avg
State avg
Under $50k
41.3%
34.3%
40.1%
$50k – $100k
25.9%
32.7%
33.4%
$100k – $200k
18.2%
25.7%
21.5%
Over $200k
14.6%
7.3%
5.0%
Range % of households
Under $10k 4.2%
$10k–$15k 1.9%
$15k–$25k 5.6%
$25k–$35k 10.2%
$35k–$50k 9.4%
$50k–$75k 17.3%
$75k–$100k 11.8%
$100k–$150k 13.9%
$150k–$200k 6.9%
$200k+ 18.7%
Median income $77,612
Housing
Housing overview
Metric Value
Median home value $259,500
Median rent / month $1,022
Owner occupied 65.0%
Renter occupied 35.0%
Vacant 5.8%
Single-family detached 59.2%
Large apartment buildings 24.2%
Mobile homes 0.0%
Median rooms 5.4
Avg household size (owned) 2.23
Year built
Era %
2020 or later 0.1%
2010–2019 2.4%
2000–2009 2.7%
1990–1999 3.1%
1980–1989 6.1%
1970–1979 12.6%
1960–1969 8.3%
1950–1959 9.3%
1940–1949 8.8%
1939 or earlier 46.7%
Bedrooms
Size % of units
No bedroom (studio) 4.3%
1 bedroom 18.9%
2 bedrooms 32.2%
3 bedrooms 23.7%
4 bedrooms 16.2%
5+ bedrooms 4.7%
Vehicles per household
Vehicles % of households
No vehicle 6.4%
1 vehicle 42.4%
2 vehicles 37.0%
3 or more 14.3%
Heating fuel
Fuel type %
Utility gas 72.8%
Electricity 23.9%
Propane / LP gas 0.7%
Wood 0.1%
Solar 0.8%
No fuel used 0.3%
Households & families
Household type Count %
Married-couple family 2,974 38.4%
Cohabiting couple 545 7.0%
Male householder, no spouse 2,106 27.2%
Female householder, no spouse 2,123 27.4%
Households with children under 18 1,859 24.0%
Households with seniors (65+) 2,420 31.2%
Average household size 1.96
Marital status
Status Male Female
Never married 36.6% 27.7%
Married 47.9% 45.1%
Separated 0.0% 0.4%
Widowed 7.3% 12.5%
Divorced 8.2% 14.4%
Education
Some college, no degree
15.6%
Graduate / professional
27.2%
Metric %
HS diploma or higher 98.0%
Bachelor's or higher 62.1%
School enrollment (ages 3–17)
Type Count %
Nursery / preschool 242 7.3%
Kindergarten 161 4.8%
Elementary school 1,340 40.3%
High school 697 20.9%
College / grad school 889 26.7%
Employment
Industry of employment
Education & healthcare
21.7%
Professional & management
19.5%
Finance & real estate
16.2%
Arts, food & hospitality
7.1%
Public administration
4.9%
Transportation & utilities
4.0%
Agriculture & mining
0.9%
Occupation
Category %
Management, business & arts 59.5%
Service 11.1%
Sales & office 16.3%
Natural resources & construction 4.5%
Production & transportation 8.6%
Employment type
Type %
Private sector 80.5%
Government 13.7%
Self-employed 5.5%
Unpaid family workers 0.3%
Commute
Method %
Drive alone 73.2%
Carpool 5.8%
Public transit 0.6%
Walk 3.2%
Work from home 15.5%
Other means 1.7%
Avg commute (minutes) 16.0
Poverty
Married-couple families
3.2%
Female-led households
20.2%
Income support
Source % of households
Social Security 31.2%
Retirement income 24.8%
Supplemental Security 2.8%
Cash public assistance 0.8%
Food stamps / SNAP 3.7%
Health indicators
Condition %
Obesity 33.0%
High blood pressure 29.0%
High cholesterol 31.8%
Diabetes 8.7%
Heart disease 5.5%
Stroke 2.5%
Asthma 8.6%
Arthritis 21.6%
Kidney disease 2.6%
Pulmonary disease 4.9%
Cancer 6.8%
Behavior / access %
Smoking 12.7%
Binge drinking 22.6%
No physical activity 18.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep 26.5%
Depression 17.0%
Fair or poor health 10.8%
Poor mental health 12.4%
Poor physical health 7.6%
No health insurance 7.2%
Visited doctor (checkup) 76.4%
Visited dentist 73.0%
Cholesterol screening 89.8%
Teeth loss 9.0%
Veterans & disability
Veterans Count %
Civilian veterans 973 7.8%
Disability %
Any disability 10.5%
Under 18 4.2%
18–64 years 5.1%
65 and over 33.5%
Health insurance coverage
Type %
Private insurance 78.3%
Public insurance 31.6%
No insurance 3.4%
Uninsured under 19 3.7%
Language & origin
Language spoken at home (age 5+)
Language Count %
English only 14,822 95.6%
Spanish 402 2.7%
Other Indo-European 228 1.5%
Asian & Pacific Islander 0 0.0%
Other languages 142 1.0%
Place of birth & citizenship
Origin Count %
Native born (US) 14,405 92.9%
Born in same state 14,300 92.3%
Born in different state 9,544 61.6%
Foreign born 105 0.7%
Naturalized citizen 1,093 7.1%
Not a US citizen 702 64.2%
Ancestry
Ancestry Count %
French 2,340 15.1%
Italian 2,318 15%
Arab 843 5.4%
Polish 587 3.8%
English 533 3.4%
Ancestry Count %
Dutch 176 1.1%
Irish 45 0.3%
Norwegian 6 0%
German 4 0%
Technology access
Metric % of households
Computer access 50.0%
Internet access 95.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.
Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 50312
What city is ZIP code 50312 in?
ZIP code 50312 is primarily assigned to Des Moines, Iowa.
What county is ZIP code 50312 in?
ZIP code 50312 falls within Polk County, Iowa.
How educated is the population of ZIP code 50312?
62% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.
What is the population of ZIP code 50312?
ZIP code 50312 has an estimated population of 15,498 residents, with a density of 2,753 people per square mile.
What is the median household income in ZIP code 50312?
The median household income in ZIP code 50312 is $77,612, above the national median of ~$75,000.
What is the typical home value in ZIP code 50312?
The median home value in ZIP code 50312 is $259,500.
What timezone is ZIP code 50312 in?
ZIP code 50312 observes the CST timezone.
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