50603 ZIP Code — Alta Vista, IA

Chickasaw County, Iowa

ZIP code 50603 is located in Alta Vista, Iowa, within Chickasaw County. It covers approximately 45.11 square miles and serves a population of 342 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 641.

About ZIP code 50603

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 $94,600. Owner-occupancy is high at 89%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $59,688. The poverty rate of 6% is below the national average. 44% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is production, transportation, and material moving, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 26 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 7% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (20%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 50603 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

342
population
45.11
sq mi land
Standard
ZIP type
Central (CT)
timezone
50603 ZIP code map
Cities in ZIP code 50603

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 50603. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City Status
Alta Vista Preferred
Nearby ZIP codes
50659 New Hampton (9.5 mi) 50628 Elma (10.6 mi) 50645 Ionia (11.1 mi) 50460 Orchard (11.4 mi) 50616 Charles City (12.3 mi) 50466 Riceville (14.5 mi) 52154 Lawler (15.2 mi) 50658 Nashua (15.2 mi) 50435 Floyd (15.8 mi) 52155 Lime Springs (18.3 mi) 50461 Osage (19.3 mi) 50630 Fredericksburg (19.6 mi)
Demographics updated 05/2026
Population
Total population 342
Population density 8 / sq mi
State FIPS 19
County FIPS 037
Geography
Land area 45.11 sq mi
Water area 0.00 sq mi
Latitude 43.1754
Longitude -92.4658
Timezone Central (CT)
Area code 641
Total population by age
Gender
Race & ethnicity
Economics updated 05/2026
Household income
Income range This ZIP County avg State avg
Under $50k 39.4% 43.2% 40.1%
$50k – $100k 40.4% 35.0% 33.4%
$100k – $200k 19.2% 19.1% 21.5%
Over $200k 1.0% 2.7% 5.0%

Demographics & statistics

342
Population
8
People per sq mi
50.0
Median age
$59,688
Median household income
$34,501
Per capita income
$94,600
Median home value
$533
Median monthly rent
88.8%
Home ownership
5.8%
Poverty rate
6.5%
Unemployment
152
Housing units
6.6%
Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female
1
Under 5
1
1
5–9
1
11
10–14
9
22
15–19
18
3
20–24
3
10
25–34
9
29
35–44
23
17
45–54
14
13
55–59
11
19
60–64
16
47
65–74
38
7
75–84
6
7
85+
6
← Male
Female →

Age summary

GroupCount%
Under 184011.7%
18 and over30288.3%
65 and over11132.5%
Median age50.0 years

Race & ethnicity

White 100%
GroupCount%
White342100%

Household income

Income range This ZIP County avg State avg
Under $50k 39.4% 43.2% 40.1%
$50k – $100k 40.4% 35.0% 33.4%
$100k – $200k 19.2% 19.1% 21.5%
Over $200k 1.0% 2.7% 5.0%
Under $10k 2.5%
$10k–$15k 8.1%
$15k–$25k 2.5%
$25k–$35k 6.8%
$35k–$50k 14.9%
$50k–$75k 31.7%
$75k–$100k 15.5%
$100k–$150k 16.1%
$150k–$200k 0.6%
$200k+ 1.2%
Range% of households
Under $10k2.5%
$10k–$15k8.1%
$15k–$25k2.5%
$25k–$35k6.8%
$35k–$50k14.9%
$50k–$75k31.7%
$75k–$100k15.5%
$100k–$150k16.1%
$150k–$200k0.6%
$200k+1.2%
Median income$59,688

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 17.5%
$50k–$100k 45.5%
$100k–$150k 13.3%
$150k–$200k 9.1%
$200k–$300k 14.7%

Housing overview

MetricValue
Median home value$94,600
Median rent / month$533
Owner occupied88.8%
Renter occupied11.2%
Vacant5.3%
Single-family detached91.2%
Large apartment buildings0.0%
Mobile homes2.4%
Median rooms6.1
Avg household size (owned)2.15

Year built

Era%
2020 or later4.1%
2010–20190.0%
2000–20090.6%
1990–19995.9%
1980–19898.2%
1970–197916.5%
1960–19698.2%
1950–19591.8%
1940–19496.5%
1939 or earlier48.2%

Bedrooms

Size% of units
No bedroom (studio)0.0%
1 bedroom6.5%
2 bedrooms26.5%
3 bedrooms32.4%
4 bedrooms34.1%
5+ bedrooms0.6%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles% of households
No vehicle1.2%
1 vehicle29.8%
2 vehicles36.0%
3 or more32.9%

Heating fuel

Fuel type%
Electricity5.0%
Propane / LP gas68.3%
Fuel oil12.4%
Wood11.2%

Households & families

Household typeCount%
Married-couple family7244.7%
Cohabiting couple53.1%
Male householder, no spouse4427.3%
Female householder, no spouse4024.8%
Households with children under 183924.2%
Households with seniors (65+)6439.8%
Average household size2.12

Marital status

StatusMaleFemale
Never married42.9%24.1%
Married41.2%56.0%
Separated0.0%0.0%
Widowed1.1%11.3%
Divorced14.7%8.5%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.1%
Some HS, no diploma 14.7%
HS graduate 40.1%
Some college, no degree 25.4%
Associate's degree 12.1%
Bachelor's degree 5.5%
Graduate / professional 1.1%
Metric%
HS diploma or higher84.2%
Bachelor's or higher6.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

TypeCount%
Nursery / preschool11.5%
Kindergarten00.0%
Elementary school2233.8%
High school3756.9%
College / grad school57.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 33.8%
Manufacturing 15.3%
Construction 10.2%
Transportation & utilities 10.2%
Agriculture & mining 7.9%
Retail trade 6.9%
Other services 6.5%
Arts, food & hospitality 6.0%
Professional & management 1.4%
Wholesale trade 0.9%
Finance & real estate 0.9%

Occupation

Category%
Management, business & arts19.9%
Service21.3%
Sales & office22.2%
Natural resources & construction11.1%
Production & transportation25.5%

Employment type

Type%
Private sector66.2%
Government19.0%
Self-employed14.8%
Unpaid family workers0.0%

Commute

Method%
Drive alone78.6%
Carpool5.1%
Public transit0.0%
Walk0.9%
Work from home12.1%
Other means3.3%
Avg commute (minutes)25.9

Poverty

All people 5.8%
Under 18 years 0.0%
18 and over 6.6%
Married-couple families 2.8%
Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source% of households
Social Security44.1%
Retirement income20.5%
Supplemental Security8.1%
Cash public assistance2.5%
Food stamps / SNAP2.5%

Health indicators

Condition%
Obesity37.8%
High blood pressure36.1%
High cholesterol33.7%
Diabetes10.6%
Heart disease7.8%
Stroke3.6%
Asthma9.4%
Arthritis27.0%
Kidney disease3.2%
Pulmonary disease7.9%
Cancer7.6%
Behavior / access%
Smoking20.3%
Binge drinking21.8%
No physical activity26.2%
Less than 7 hrs sleep31.8%
Depression17.8%
Fair or poor health14.5%
Poor mental health13.9%
Poor physical health10.7%
No health insurance10.6%
Visited doctor (checkup)72.9%
Visited dentist63.2%
Cholesterol screening87.9%
Teeth loss16.2%

Veterans & disability

VeteransCount%
Civilian veterans93.0%
Disability%
Any disability12.0%
Under 1830.0%
18–64 years9.9%
65 and over9.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type%
Private insurance72.8%
Public insurance42.4%
No insurance8.2%
Uninsured under 191.6%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

LanguageCount%
English only34099.4%
Spanish00.0%
Other Indo-European00.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander00.0%
Other languages00.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

OriginCount%
Native born (US)342100.0%
Born in same state34199.7%
Born in different state31692.4%
Foreign born10.3%
Naturalized citizen00.0%
Not a US citizen00.0%

Ancestry

AncestryCount%
Italian4914.3%
Arab3510.2%
Polish154.4%
AncestryCount%
German20.6%
English10.3%
French10.3%

Technology access

Metric% of households
Computer access47.1%
Internet access81.4%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 50603

What city is ZIP code 50603 in?

ZIP code 50603 is primarily assigned to Alta Vista, Iowa.

What county is ZIP code 50603 in?

ZIP code 50603 falls within Chickasaw County, Iowa.

Does ZIP code 50603 have an older population?

33% of residents in ZIP code 50603 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 50603?

7% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

Is ZIP code 50603 mostly owner-occupied?

89% of occupied units in ZIP code 50603 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 50603 have a large retiree population?

44% of households in ZIP code 50603 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What timezone is ZIP code 50603 in?

ZIP code 50603 observes the CST timezone.

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