50243 ZIP Code — Sheldahl, IA
Polk County, Iowa
ZIP code 50243 is located in Sheldahl, Iowa, within Polk County. It covers approximately 0.80 square miles and serves a population of 382 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 515.
About ZIP code 50243
The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $154,300. Owner-occupancy is high at 88%, well above the national average.
Median household income is $64,375.
The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 30 minutes is near the national average.
Educational attainment is near the national average, with 29% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.
382
population
0.80
sq mi land
Standard
ZIP type
Central (CT)
timezone
50243 ZIP code map
Cities in ZIP code 50243
Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 50243. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.
| City | Status |
|---|---|
| Sheldahl | Acceptable |
Demographics
updated 06/2026
| Population | |
|---|---|
| Total population | 382 |
| Population density | 478 / sq mi |
| State FIPS | 19 |
| County FIPS | 153 |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Land area | 0.80 sq mi |
| Water area | 0.00 sq mi |
| Latitude | 41.8634 |
| Longitude | -93.6937 |
| 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 | 39.3% | 34.3% | 40.1% |
| $50k – $100k | 41.7% | 32.7% | 33.4% |
| $100k – $200k | 19.0% | 25.7% | 21.5% |
| Over $200k | 0.0% | 7.3% | 5.0% |
Demographics & statistics
382
Population
478
People per sq mi
36.7
Median age
$64,375
Median household income
$27,125
Per capita income
$154,300
Median home value
$1,063
Median monthly rent
88.1%
Home ownership
8.9%
Poverty rate
14.2%
Unemployment
145
Housing units
29.4%
Bachelor's or higher
Age distribution
Male
Female
14
Under 5
12
24
5–9
20
16
10–14
12
6
15–19
5
12
20–24
9
28
25–34
23
31
35–44
25
34
45–54
27
10
55–59
8
11
60–64
8
21
65–74
16
4
75–84
3
2
85+
1
← Male
Female →
Age summary
| Group | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 106 | 27.7% |
| 18 and over | 276 | 72.3% |
| 65 and over | 47 | 12.3% |
| Median age | 36.7 years | |
Race & ethnicity
White
98.2%
Hispanic or Latino
0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.5%
Other race
0.5%
Two or more races
0.3%
| Group | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| White | 377 | 98.2% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2 | 0.5% |
| American Indian / Alaska Native | 2 | 0.5% |
| Other race | 2 | 0.5% |
| Two or more races | 1 | 0.3% |
Household income
| Income range | This ZIP | County avg | State avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $50k | 39.3% | 34.3% | 40.1% |
| $50k – $100k | 41.7% | 32.7% | 33.4% |
| $100k – $200k | 19.0% | 25.7% | 21.5% |
| Over $200k | 0.0% | 7.3% | 5.0% |
Under $10k
1.4%
$10k–$15k
5.6%
$15k–$25k
12.6%
$25k–$35k
10.5%
$35k–$50k
10.5%
$50k–$75k
13.3%
$75k–$100k
26.6%
$100k–$150k
16.8%
$150k–$200k
2.8%
| Range | % of households |
|---|---|
| Under $10k | 1.4% |
| $10k–$15k | 5.6% |
| $15k–$25k | 12.6% |
| $25k–$35k | 10.5% |
| $35k–$50k | 10.5% |
| $50k–$75k | 13.3% |
| $75k–$100k | 26.6% |
| $100k–$150k | 16.8% |
| $150k–$200k | 2.8% |
| Median income | $64,375 |
Housing
Home values
Under $50k
4.0%
$50k–$100k
20.6%
$100k–$150k
22.2%
$150k–$200k
22.2%
$200k–$300k
21.4%
$300k–$500k
9.5%
Housing overview
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median home value | $154,300 |
| Median rent / month | $1,063 |
| Owner occupied | 88.1% |
| Renter occupied | 11.9% |
| Vacant | 11.7% |
| Single-family detached | 87.0% |
| Large apartment buildings | 0.0% |
| Mobile homes | 12.3% |
| Median rooms | 5.9 |
| Avg household size (owned) | 2.73 |
Year built
| Era | % |
|---|---|
| 2020 or later | 0.0% |
| 2010–2019 | 6.8% |
| 2000–2009 | 6.8% |
| 1990–1999 | 16.0% |
| 1980–1989 | 1.2% |
| 1970–1979 | 22.2% |
| 1960–1969 | 12.3% |
| 1950–1959 | 4.3% |
| 1940–1949 | 0.0% |
| 1939 or earlier | 30.2% |
Bedrooms
| Size | % of units |
|---|---|
| No bedroom (studio) | 0.0% |
| 1 bedroom | 0.0% |
| 2 bedrooms | 30.2% |
| 3 bedrooms | 56.8% |
| 4 bedrooms | 11.7% |
| 5+ bedrooms | 1.2% |
Vehicles per household
| Vehicles | % of households |
|---|---|
| No vehicle | 3.5% |
| 1 vehicle | 23.8% |
| 2 vehicles | 39.2% |
| 3 or more | 33.6% |
Heating fuel
| Fuel type | % |
|---|---|
| Utility gas | 80.4% |
| Electricity | 8.4% |
| Propane / LP gas | 3.5% |
| Wood | 7.0% |
| No fuel used | 0.7% |
Households & families
| Household type | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Married-couple family | 87 | 60.8% |
| Cohabiting couple | 1 | 0.7% |
| Male householder, no spouse | 40 | 28.0% |
| Female householder, no spouse | 15 | 10.5% |
| Households with children under 18 | 47 | 32.9% |
| Households with seniors (65+) | 35 | 24.5% |
| Average household size | 2.67 | |
Marital status
| Status | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Never married | 29.8% | 9.7% |
| Married | 53.2% | 77.9% |
| Separated | 4.7% | 0.9% |
| Widowed | 0.6% | 7.1% |
| Divorced | 11.7% | 4.4% |
Education
Less than 9th grade
0.4%
Some HS, no diploma
7.1%
HS graduate
27.8%
Some college, no degree
17.1%
Associate's degree
18.3%
Bachelor's degree
26.2%
Graduate / professional
3.2%
| Metric | % |
|---|---|
| HS diploma or higher | 92.5% |
| Bachelor's or higher | 29.4% |
School enrollment (ages 3–17)
| Type | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Nursery / preschool | 8 | 7.5% |
| Kindergarten | 3 | 2.8% |
| Elementary school | 63 | 58.9% |
| High school | 12 | 11.2% |
| College / grad school | 21 | 19.6% |
Employment
Industry of employment
Education & healthcare
29.0%
Finance & real estate
12.4%
Transportation & utilities
11.8%
Manufacturing
10.7%
Professional & management
8.9%
Construction
6.5%
Retail trade
5.3%
Public administration
4.1%
Other services
3.6%
Wholesale trade
3.0%
Agriculture & mining
2.4%
Information
1.2%
Arts, food & hospitality
1.2%
Occupation
| Category | % |
|---|---|
| Management, business & arts | 36.1% |
| Service | 23.1% |
| Sales & office | 7.7% |
| Natural resources & construction | 8.3% |
| Production & transportation | 24.9% |
Employment type
| Type | % |
|---|---|
| Private sector | 80.5% |
| Government | 15.4% |
| Self-employed | 4.1% |
| Unpaid family workers | 0.0% |
Commute
| Method | % |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 88.0% |
| Carpool | 2.4% |
| Public transit | 0.0% |
| Walk | 0.0% |
| Work from home | 9.6% |
| Other means | 0.0% |
| Avg commute (minutes) | 30.3 |
Poverty
All people
8.9%
Under 18 years
9.4%
18 and over
8.7%
Married-couple families
6.9%
Female-led households
50.0%
Income support
| Source | % of households |
|---|---|
| Social Security | 28.0% |
| Retirement income | 16.8% |
| Supplemental Security | 3.5% |
| Cash public assistance | 0.0% |
| Food stamps / SNAP | 5.6% |
Health indicators
| Condition | % |
|---|---|
| Obesity | 31.3% |
| High blood pressure | 29.0% |
| High cholesterol | 31.0% |
| Diabetes | 8.3% |
| Heart disease | 5.8% |
| Stroke | 2.5% |
| Asthma | 8.6% |
| Arthritis | 22.5% |
| Kidney disease | 2.5% |
| Pulmonary disease | 5.0% |
| Cancer | 7.4% |
| Behavior / access | % |
|---|---|
| Smoking | 12.9% |
| Binge drinking | 22.9% |
| No physical activity | 17.4% |
| Less than 7 hrs sleep | 26.1% |
| Depression | 16.3% |
| Fair or poor health | 9.5% |
| Poor mental health | 11.9% |
| Poor physical health | 7.4% |
| No health insurance | 7.0% |
| Visited doctor (checkup) | 74.1% |
| Visited dentist | 75.8% |
| Cholesterol screening | 90.5% |
| Teeth loss | 8.6% |
Veterans & disability
| Veterans | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Civilian veterans | 6 | 2.2% |
| Disability | % |
|---|---|
| Any disability | 9.4% |
| Under 18 | 0.0% |
| 18–64 years | 7.4% |
| 65 and over | 40.4% |
Health insurance coverage
| Type | % |
|---|---|
| Private insurance | 76.2% |
| Public insurance | 28.3% |
| No insurance | 3.9% |
| Uninsured under 19 | 0.0% |
Language & origin
Language spoken at home (age 5+)
| Language | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| English only | 356 | 93.2% |
| Spanish | 1 | 0.3% |
| Other Indo-European | 0 | 0.0% |
| Asian & Pacific Islander | 1 | 0.3% |
| Other languages | 0 | 0.0% |
Place of birth & citizenship
| Origin | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Native born (US) | 381 | 99.7% |
| Born in same state | 377 | 98.7% |
| Born in different state | 294 | 77.0% |
| Foreign born | 4 | 1.0% |
| Naturalized citizen | 1 | 0.3% |
| Not a US citizen | 1 | 100.0% |
Ancestry
| Ancestry | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Polish | 92 | 24.1% |
| French | 61 | 16% |
| Italian | 26 | 6.8% |
| English | 11 | 2.9% |
| Ancestry | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Arab | 8 | 2.1% |
| Dutch | 3 | 0.8% |
| German | 2 | 0.5% |
Technology access
| Metric | % of households |
|---|---|
| Computer access | 37.4% |
| Internet access | 91.6% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.
Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 50243
What city is ZIP code 50243 in?
ZIP code 50243 is primarily assigned to Sheldahl, Iowa.
What county is ZIP code 50243 in?
ZIP code 50243 falls within Polk County, Iowa.
Is ZIP code 50243 mostly owner-occupied?
88% of occupied units in ZIP code 50243 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.
What is the typical home value in ZIP code 50243?
The median home value in ZIP code 50243 is $154,300.
What is the population of ZIP code 50243?
ZIP code 50243 has an estimated population of 382 residents, with a density of 476 people per square mile.
What is the median household income in ZIP code 50243?
The median household income in ZIP code 50243 is $64,375, below the national median of ~$75,000.
What timezone is ZIP code 50243 in?
ZIP code 50243 observes the CST timezone.