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.

15,498

population

5.63

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

50312 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 50312

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 50312. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Des Moines	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

50311 Des Moines (1.6 mi) 50324 Windsor Heights (1.7 mi) 50321 Des Moines (2.2 mi) 50314 Des Moines (3.1 mi) 50309 Des Moines (3.1 mi) 50308 Des Moines (3.3 mi) 50395 Des Moines (3.4 mi) 50307 Des Moines (3.4 mi) 50310 Des Moines (3.6 mi) 50315 Des Moines (3.7 mi) 50391 Des Moines (3.9 mi) 50380 Des Moines (3.9 mi)

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

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

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

15,498

Population

2,753

People per sq mi

40.4

Median age

$77,612

Median household income

$63,067

Per capita income

$259,500

Median home value

$1,022

Median monthly rent

65.0%

Home ownership

9.0%

Poverty rate

2.5%

Unemployment

5,515

Housing units

62.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

352

Under 5

324

486

5–9

447

427

10–14

393

354

15–19

325

429

20–24

394

1,352

25–34

1,241

1,121

35–44

1,029

1,002

45–54

921

432

55–59

396

436

60–64

401

876

65–74

805

420

75–84

386

390

85+

359

← Male

Female →

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

White 81.9%

Asian 5%

Two or more races 4.4%

Hispanic or Latino 4%

Black or African American 2.8%

Other race 1.4%

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%

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%

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

Home values

Under $50k 0.8%

$50k–$100k 4.3%

$100k–$150k 11.9%

$150k–$200k 13.8%

$200k–$300k 28.7%

$300k–$500k 24.0%

$500k–$1M 14.9%

$1M+ 1.6%

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

Less than 9th grade 0.8%

Some HS, no diploma 1.1%

HS graduate 14.0%

Some college, no degree 15.6%

Associate's degree 6.4%

Bachelor's degree 34.9%

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%

Retail trade 9.1%

Arts, food & hospitality 7.1%

Manufacturing 5.6%

Public administration 4.9%

Transportation & utilities 4.0%

Construction 3.8%

Other services 3.4%

Information 2.5%

Wholesale trade 1.2%

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

All people 9.0%

Under 18 years 7.0%

18 and over 9.5%

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.