50266 ZIP Code — West Des Moines, IA

Polk County, Iowa

ZIP code 50266 is located in West Des Moines, Iowa, within Polk County. It covers approximately 22.31 square miles and serves a population of 35,508 residents. This is a po box ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 515.

About ZIP code 50266

The housing stock consists of a significant share of large multi-unit buildings. Much of the housing stock is relatively new, reflecting recent development activity. Median home value is $310,000. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 52%.

The gap between median ($83,166) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. The poverty rate of 7% is below the national average.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 18 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is high — 60% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

35,508

population

22.31

sq mi land

PO Box

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

50266 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 50266

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 50266. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
West Des Moines	Acceptable
West Des Moines	Acceptable

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	35,508
Population density	1,592 / sq mi
State FIPS	19
County FIPS	153

Geography
Land area	22.31 sq mi
Water area	0.33 sq mi
Latitude	41.5599
Longitude	-93.7856
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	29.9%	34.3%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	35.4%	32.7%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	23.8%	25.7%	21.5%
Over $200k	10.9%	7.3%	5.0%

Demographics & statistics

35,508

Population

1,592

People per sq mi

34.7

Median age

$83,166

Median household income

$56,671

Per capita income

$310,000

Median home value

$1,244

Median monthly rent

51.6%

Home ownership

6.9%

Poverty rate

3.1%

Unemployment

9,896

Housing units

59.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

1,082

Under 5

1,016

991

5–9

932

897

10–14

844

849

15–19

798

1,473

20–24

1,385

3,995

25–34

3,754

2,516

35–44

2,365

2,160

45–54

2,030

1,173

55–59

1,102

790

60–64

742

1,300

65–74

1,221

653

75–84

613

426

85+

401

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	6,873	19.4%
18 and over	28,635	80.6%
65 and over	4,614	13.0%
Median age	34.7 years

Race & ethnicity

White 78.7%

Asian 6.6%

Two or more races 5.9%

Hispanic or Latino 4.4%

Black or African American 3.2%

Other race 1.1%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	29,223	78.7%
Asian	2,441	6.6%
Two or more races	2,199	5.9%
Hispanic or Latino	1,632	4.4%
Black or African American	1,199	3.2%
Other race	419	1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	27	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	29.9%	34.3%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	35.4%	32.7%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	23.8%	25.7%	21.5%
Over $200k	10.9%	7.3%	5.0%

Under $10k 2.3%

$10k–$15k 1.3%

$15k–$25k 5.1%

$25k–$35k 7.7%

$35k–$50k 10.2%

$50k–$75k 17.0%

$75k–$100k 16.1%

$100k–$150k 14.5%

$150k–$200k 11.2%

$200k+ 14.7%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.3%
$10k–$15k	1.3%
$15k–$25k	5.1%
$25k–$35k	7.7%
$35k–$50k	10.2%
$50k–$75k	17.0%
$75k–$100k	16.1%
$100k–$150k	14.5%
$150k–$200k	11.2%
$200k+	14.7%
Median income	$83,166

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 0.4%

$50k–$100k 1.9%

$100k–$150k 9.5%

$150k–$200k 12.7%

$200k–$300k 23.5%

$300k–$500k 40.1%

$500k–$1M 11.0%

$1M+ 0.9%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$310,000
Median rent / month	$1,244
Owner occupied	51.6%
Renter occupied	48.4%
Vacant	6.9%
Single-family detached	35.4%
Large apartment buildings	27.7%
Mobile homes	0.3%
Median rooms	4.9
Avg household size (owned)	2.46

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.7%
2010–2019	30.1%
2000–2009	23.8%
1990–1999	18.1%
1980–1989	11.6%
1970–1979	9.4%
1960–1969	2.0%
1950–1959	1.7%
1940–1949	0.4%
1939 or earlier	2.3%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	4.4%
1 bedroom	12.6%
2 bedrooms	38.3%
3 bedrooms	22.1%
4 bedrooms	16.5%
5+ bedrooms	6.1%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.4%
1 vehicle	41.4%
2 vehicles	41.5%
3 or more	13.7%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	52.6%
Electricity	45.8%
Propane / LP gas	1.4%
Fuel oil	0.1%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	6,506	38.8%
Cohabiting couple	1,507	9.0%
Male householder, no spouse	4,460	26.6%
Female householder, no spouse	4,315	25.7%
Households with children under 18	3,961	23.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	3,302	19.7%
Average household size	2.11

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	40.4%	36.6%
Married	46.9%	45.0%
Separated	0.7%	1.0%
Widowed	2.5%	8.2%
Divorced	9.5%	9.2%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.6%

Some HS, no diploma 1.5%

HS graduate 14.0%

Some college, no degree 14.6%

Associate's degree 9.6%

Bachelor's degree 38.4%

Graduate / professional 21.4%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	97.9%
Bachelor's or higher	59.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	517	6.9%
Kindergarten	419	5.6%
Elementary school	2,764	36.7%
High school	1,442	19.2%
College / grad school	2,384	31.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Finance & real estate 22.1%

Education & healthcare 20.0%

Professional & management 13.5%

Retail trade 10.0%

Manufacturing 6.2%

Arts, food & hospitality 6.1%

Other services 4.8%

Transportation & utilities 4.6%

Public administration 4.0%

Wholesale trade 3.6%

Construction 2.6%

Information 1.9%

Agriculture & mining 0.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	58.9%
Service	10.3%
Sales & office	20.8%
Natural resources & construction	2.5%
Production & transportation	7.6%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	83.3%
Government	11.8%
Self-employed	4.8%
Unpaid family workers	0.1%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	71.8%
Carpool	8.2%
Public transit	0.8%
Walk	0.9%
Work from home	16.1%
Other means	2.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	18.3

Poverty

All people 6.9%

Under 18 years 5.1%

18 and over 7.3%

Married-couple families 3.2%

Female-led households 17.5%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	20.0%
Retirement income	16.7%
Supplemental Security	2.0%
Cash public assistance	1.1%
Food stamps / SNAP	4.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	31.9%
High blood pressure	22.2%
High cholesterol	27.8%
Diabetes	6.0%
Heart disease	3.6%
Stroke	1.6%
Asthma	8.1%
Arthritis	16.5%
Kidney disease	1.8%
Pulmonary disease	3.2%
Cancer	5.1%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	10.7%
Binge drinking	25.1%
No physical activity	15.1%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	25.2%
Depression	16.4%
Fair or poor health	7.1%
Poor mental health	12.0%
Poor physical health	5.6%
No health insurance	6.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	72.5%
Visited dentist	77.3%
Cholesterol screening	88.8%
Teeth loss	6.9%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,356	4.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	8.6%
Under 18	1.9%
18–64 years	6.7%
65 and over	29.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	85.6%
Public insurance	21.8%
No insurance	3.0%
Uninsured under 19	1.5%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	33,410	94.1%
Spanish	1,666	5.0%
Other Indo-European	327	1.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	607	1.8%
Other languages	341	1.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	31,481	88.7%
Born in same state	30,772	86.7%
Born in different state	21,299	60.0%
Foreign born	709	2.0%
Naturalized citizen	4,027	11.3%
Not a US citizen	1,776	44.1%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	5,022	14.1%
French	3,896	11%
Polish	1,840	5.2%
Arab	1,300	3.7%
English	926	2.6%

Ancestry	Count	%
Dutch	512	1.4%
Norwegian	87	0.2%
German	78	0.2%
Irish	14	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	47.3%
Internet access	97.2%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 50266

What city is ZIP code 50266 in?

ZIP code 50266 is primarily assigned to West Des Moines, Iowa.

What county is ZIP code 50266 in?

ZIP code 50266 falls within Polk County, Iowa.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 50266?

60% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 50266?

The median home value in ZIP code 50266 is $310,000.

What is the population of ZIP code 50266?

ZIP code 50266 has an estimated population of 35,508 residents, with a density of 1,592 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 50266?

The median household income in ZIP code 50266 is $83,166, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 50266 in?

ZIP code 50266 observes the CST timezone.