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Iowa ZIP Codes
Polk County
West Des Moines, IA
50265
50265 ZIP Code — West Des Moines, IA
Polk County, Iowa
ZIP code 50265 is located in
West Des Moines ,
Iowa ,
within Polk County .
It covers approximately 19.30 square miles and serves a population of
33,222 residents.
This is a po box ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone,
served by area code 515 .
About ZIP code 50265
The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the 1980s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $241,800. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 66%.
The gap between median ($81,579) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up.
The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 17 minutes is near the national average.
Educational attainment is high — 47% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.
50265 ZIP code map
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Cities in ZIP code 50265
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Demographics
updated 06/2026
Population
Total population
33,222
Population density
1,721 / sq mi
State FIPS
19
County FIPS
153
Geography
Land area
19.30 sq mi
Water area
0.76 sq mi
Latitude
41.5597
Longitude
-93.7380
Timezone
Central (CT)
Area code
515
Economics
updated 06/2026
Household income
Income range
This ZIP
County avg
State avg
Under $50k
34.8%
34.3%
40.1%
$50k – $100k
31.2%
32.7%
33.4%
$100k – $200k
26.2%
25.7%
21.5%
Over $200k
7.7%
7.3%
5.0%
Demographics & statistics
$81,579
Median household income
$241,800
Median home value
$1,013
Median monthly rent
47.2%
Bachelor's or higher
Age distribution
Age summary
Group Count % Under 18 7,653 23.0% 18 and over 25,569 77.0% 65 and over 5,227 15.7% Median age 37.9 years
Race & ethnicity
Black or African American
5.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%
Group Count % White 26,781 77.5% Two or more races 2,145 6.2% Black or African American 1,817 5.3% Asian 1,785 5.2% Hispanic or Latino 1,344 3.9% Other race 658 1.9% Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 25 0.1%
Household income
Income range
This ZIP
County avg
State avg
Under $50k
34.8%
34.3%
40.1%
$50k – $100k
31.2%
32.7%
33.4%
$100k – $200k
26.2%
25.7%
21.5%
Over $200k
7.7%
7.3%
5.0%
Range % of households Under $10k 2.5% $10k–$15k 2.5% $15k–$25k 5.0% $25k–$35k 9.1% $35k–$50k 11.6% $50k–$75k 15.8% $75k–$100k 12.3% $100k–$150k 19.0% $150k–$200k 10.6% $200k+ 11.6% Median income $81,579
Housing
Housing overview
Metric Value Median home value $241,800 Median rent / month $1,013 Owner occupied 65.7% Renter occupied 34.3% Vacant 4.7% Single-family detached 58.2% Large apartment buildings 14.4% Mobile homes 1.8% Median rooms 5.5 Avg household size (owned) 2.42
Year built
Era % 2020 or later 0.4% 2010–2019 2.8% 2000–2009 10.0% 1990–1999 20.3% 1980–1989 21.1% 1970–1979 16.8% 1960–1969 7.7% 1950–1959 12.3% 1940–1949 3.0% 1939 or earlier 5.6%
Bedrooms
Size % of units No bedroom (studio) 1.6% 1 bedroom 7.3% 2 bedrooms 37.6% 3 bedrooms 29.9% 4 bedrooms 20.4% 5+ bedrooms 3.3%
Vehicles per household
Vehicles % of households No vehicle 2.6% 1 vehicle 39.4% 2 vehicles 42.4% 3 or more 15.6%
Heating fuel
Fuel type % Utility gas 64.7% Electricity 33.6% Propane / LP gas 1.1% Wood 0.1% No fuel used 0.2%
Households & families
Household type Count % Married-couple family 6,428 44.3% Cohabiting couple 990 6.8% Male householder, no spouse 2,827 19.5% Female householder, no spouse 4,260 29.4% Households with children under 18 4,202 29.0% Households with seniors (65+) 3,788 26.1% Average household size 2.28
Marital status
Status Male Female Never married 35.8% 29.7% Married 53.0% 46.2% Separated 1.2% 1.5% Widowed 2.1% 7.5% Divorced 7.9% 15.1%
Education
Some college, no degree
18.7%
Graduate / professional
15.1%
Metric % HS diploma or higher 95.0% Bachelor's or higher 47.2%
School enrollment (ages 3–17)
Type Count % Nursery / preschool 450 5.7% Kindergarten 299 3.8% Elementary school 3,735 47.1% High school 1,784 22.5% College / grad school 1,661 20.9%
Employment
Industry of employment
Education & healthcare
20.8%
Finance & real estate
19.1%
Professional & management
12.5%
Arts, food & hospitality
8.5%
Transportation & utilities
5.8%
Public administration
2.3%
Agriculture & mining
0.6%
Occupation
Category % Management, business & arts 49.3% Service 14.8% Sales & office 20.5% Natural resources & construction 5.0% Production & transportation 10.3%
Employment type
Type % Private sector 85.9% Government 10.5% Self-employed 3.5% Unpaid family workers 0.0%
Commute
Method % Drive alone 77.5% Carpool 8.0% Public transit 0.4% Walk 0.6% Work from home 12.1% Other means 1.5% Avg commute (minutes) 17.2
Poverty
Married-couple families
6.2%
Female-led households
12.7%
Income support
Source % of households Social Security 24.9% Retirement income 23.2% Supplemental Security 3.0% Cash public assistance 2.1% Food stamps / SNAP 8.7%
Health indicators
Condition % Obesity 32.3% High blood pressure 25.9% High cholesterol 30.0% Diabetes 7.5% Heart disease 4.7% Stroke 2.1% Asthma 8.5% Arthritis 19.2% Kidney disease 2.2% Pulmonary disease 4.4% Cancer 5.9%
Behavior / access % Smoking 13.6% Binge drinking 24.5% No physical activity 17.5% Less than 7 hrs sleep 27.0% Depression 17.5% Fair or poor health 9.8% Poor mental health 12.9% Poor physical health 7.1% No health insurance 7.9% Visited doctor (checkup) 74.4% Visited dentist 73.3% Cholesterol screening 88.7% Teeth loss 8.7%
Veterans & disability
Veterans Count % Civilian veterans 1,635 6.4%
Disability % Any disability 9.9% Under 18 2.3% 18–64 years 7.7% 65 and over 30.2%
Health insurance coverage
Type % Private insurance 77.2% Public insurance 31.3% No insurance 4.6% Uninsured under 19 1.3%
Language & origin
Language spoken at home (age 5+)
Language Count % English only 31,348 94.4% Spanish 1,835 5.9% Other Indo-European 738 2.4% Asian & Pacific Islander 285 0.9% Other languages 352 1.1%
Place of birth & citizenship
Origin Count % Native born (US) 29,819 89.8% Born in same state 29,364 88.4% Born in different state 20,553 61.9% Foreign born 455 1.4% Naturalized citizen 3,403 10.2% Not a US citizen 1,795 52.7%
Ancestry
Ancestry Count % Italian 4,949 14.9% French 4,270 12.9% Polish 1,599 4.8% Arab 1,483 4.5% English 906 2.7%
Ancestry Count % Dutch 621 1.9% German 50 0.2% Irish 18 0.1% Norwegian 15 0%
Technology access
Metric % of households Computer access 43.7% Internet access 97.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.
Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 50265
What city is ZIP code 50265 in?
ZIP code 50265 is primarily assigned to West Des Moines, Iowa.
What county is ZIP code 50265 in?
ZIP code 50265 falls within Polk County, Iowa.
How educated is the population of ZIP code 50265?
47% 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 50265?
ZIP code 50265 has an estimated population of 33,222 residents, with a density of 1,722 people per square mile.
What is the median household income in ZIP code 50265?
The median household income in ZIP code 50265 is $81,579, above the national median of ~$75,000.
What is the typical home value in ZIP code 50265?
The median home value in ZIP code 50265 is $241,800.
What timezone is ZIP code 50265 in?
ZIP code 50265 observes the CST timezone.
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