50311 ZIP Code — Des Moines, IA

Polk County, Iowa

ZIP code 50311 is located in Des Moines, Iowa, within Polk County. It covers approximately 2.55 square miles and serves a population of 15,869 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 515.

About ZIP code 50311

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $214,500. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 48%.

Median household income is $62,166. Poverty affects 21% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 21% of households reflects economic stress in the area.

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 near the national average, with 41% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 50311 reflects a community defined by economic challenges above the national average and elevated reliance on food assistance.

15,869

population

2.55

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

50311 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 50311

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 50311. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Des Moines	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

50324 Windsor Heights (1.1 mi) 50312 Des Moines (1.6 mi) 50310 Des Moines (2.2 mi) 50314 Des Moines (2.8 mi) 50308 Des Moines (3.2 mi) 50309 Des Moines (3.5 mi) 50322 Urbandale (3.5 mi) 50307 Des Moines (3.7 mi) 50395 Des Moines (3.8 mi) 50321 Des Moines (3.8 mi) 50367 Des Moines (3.8 mi) 50380 Des Moines (3.8 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	15,869
Population density	6,223 / sq mi
State FIPS	19
County FIPS	153

Geography
Land area	2.55 sq mi
Water area	0.00 sq mi
Latitude	41.6016
Longitude	-93.6844
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	515

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	46.5%	34.3%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	30.7%	32.7%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	18.8%	25.7%	21.5%
Over $200k	4.0%	7.3%	5.0%

Demographics & statistics

15,869

Population

6,223

People per sq mi

31.2

Median age

$62,166

Median household income

$33,748

Per capita income

$214,500

Median home value

$939

Median monthly rent

48.4%

Home ownership

20.8%

Poverty rate

7.7%

Unemployment

3,645

Housing units

41.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

561

Under 5

564

313

5–9

315

295

10–14

296

863

15–19

869

1,153

20–24

1,159

1,322

25–34

1,330

979

35–44

984

975

45–54

981

383

55–59

385

308

60–64

309

595

65–74

599

140

75–84

140

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	2,590	16.3%
18 and over	13,279	83.7%
65 and over	1,525	9.6%
Median age	31.2 years

Race & ethnicity

White 69.2%

Black or African American 10.5%

Two or more races 7.3%

Asian 5.8%

Hispanic or Latino 4.9%

Other race 2.2%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	11,549	69.2%
Black or African American	1,752	10.5%
Two or more races	1,220	7.3%
Asian	963	5.8%
Hispanic or Latino	815	4.9%
Other race	364	2.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	21	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	46.5%	34.3%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	30.7%	32.7%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	18.8%	25.7%	21.5%
Over $200k	4.0%	7.3%	5.0%

Under $10k 7.2%

$10k–$15k 6.4%

$15k–$25k 8.7%

$25k–$35k 6.6%

$35k–$50k 10.2%

$50k–$75k 18.1%

$75k–$100k 17.2%

$100k–$150k 13.8%

$150k–$200k 6.1%

$200k+ 5.9%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	7.2%
$10k–$15k	6.4%
$15k–$25k	8.7%
$25k–$35k	6.6%
$35k–$50k	10.2%
$50k–$75k	18.1%
$75k–$100k	17.2%
$100k–$150k	13.8%
$150k–$200k	6.1%
$200k+	5.9%
Median income	$62,166

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 3.3%

$50k–$100k 2.7%

$100k–$150k 15.7%

$150k–$200k 20.8%

$200k–$300k 43.0%

$300k–$500k 12.7%

$500k–$1M 1.8%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$214,500
Median rent / month	$939
Owner occupied	48.4%
Renter occupied	51.6%
Vacant	6.9%
Single-family detached	57.2%
Large apartment buildings	5.7%
Mobile homes	0.0%
Median rooms	5.2
Avg household size (owned)	2.39

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.1%
2010–2019	3.4%
2000–2009	3.4%
1990–1999	3.3%
1980–1989	3.6%
1970–1979	5.8%
1960–1969	3.6%
1950–1959	14.8%
1940–1949	9.2%
1939 or earlier	52.9%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	7.9%
1 bedroom	16.5%
2 bedrooms	33.6%
3 bedrooms	33.3%
4 bedrooms	7.1%
5+ bedrooms	1.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	9.8%
1 vehicle	39.1%
2 vehicles	39.8%
3 or more	11.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	65.9%
Electricity	31.6%
Propane / LP gas	1.2%
Fuel oil	0.5%
Wood	0.1%
No fuel used	0.5%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,195	33.6%
Cohabiting couple	630	9.6%
Male householder, no spouse	1,609	24.6%
Female householder, no spouse	2,097	32.1%
Households with children under 18	1,497	22.9%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,178	18.0%
Average household size	2.12

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	52.6%	49.1%
Married	34.2%	34.0%
Separated	0.6%	1.5%
Widowed	1.7%	4.2%
Divorced	10.8%	11.1%

Education

Less than 9th grade 5.0%

Some HS, no diploma 2.9%

HS graduate 18.1%

Some college, no degree 22.3%

Associate's degree 10.6%

Bachelor's degree 26.2%

Graduate / professional 14.9%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	92.1%
Bachelor's or higher	41.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	153	3.1%
Kindergarten	105	2.2%
Elementary school	1,024	21.0%
High school	434	8.9%
College / grad school	3,151	64.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 23.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 12.6%

Finance & real estate 11.6%

Retail trade 11.5%

Professional & management 10.9%

Manufacturing 6.9%

Other services 5.7%

Construction 5.6%

Wholesale trade 2.9%

Information 2.8%

Transportation & utilities 2.7%

Public administration 2.5%

Agriculture & mining 0.8%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	40.4%
Service	19.7%
Sales & office	23.2%
Natural resources & construction	7.2%
Production & transportation	9.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	85.6%
Government	9.2%
Self-employed	4.6%
Unpaid family workers	0.6%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	68.0%
Carpool	10.1%
Public transit	2.1%
Walk	5.2%
Work from home	11.9%
Other means	2.8%
Avg commute (minutes)	17.7

Poverty

All people 20.8%

Under 18 years 27.6%

18 and over 19.2%

Married-couple families 6.2%

Female-led households 32.6%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	20.4%
Retirement income	16.9%
Supplemental Security	5.7%
Cash public assistance	9.2%
Food stamps / SNAP	20.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	34.9%
High blood pressure	23.5%
High cholesterol	25.5%
Diabetes	7.4%
Heart disease	3.9%
Stroke	2.0%
Asthma	10.1%
Arthritis	15.8%
Kidney disease	2.1%
Pulmonary disease	4.8%
Cancer	3.9%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	17.5%
Binge drinking	24.7%
No physical activity	21.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	29.8%
Depression	20.3%
Fair or poor health	13.3%
Poor mental health	17.0%
Poor physical health	8.4%
No health insurance	11.3%
Visited doctor (checkup)	73.0%
Visited dentist	63.0%
Cholesterol screening	80.4%
Teeth loss	12.1%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	305	2.3%

Disability	%
Any disability	13.6%
Under 18	2.9%
18–64 years	14.7%
65 and over	23.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	68.8%
Public insurance	35.5%
No insurance	3.8%
Uninsured under 19	0.9%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	14,744	92.9%
Spanish	1,213	8.2%
Other Indo-European	517	3.5%
Asian & Pacific Islander	60	0.4%
Other languages	555	3.8%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	14,051	88.5%
Born in same state	13,941	87.9%
Born in different state	9,474	59.7%
Foreign born	110	0.7%
Naturalized citizen	1,818	11.5%
Not a US citizen	615	33.8%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	2,298	14.5%
French	1,433	9%
Polish	724	4.6%
Arab	330	2.1%
English	323	2%

Ancestry	Count	%
Dutch	107	0.7%
German	22	0.1%
Norwegian	10	0.1%
Irish	6	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	41.2%
Internet access	95.0%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 50311

What city is ZIP code 50311 in?

ZIP code 50311 is primarily assigned to Des Moines, Iowa.

What county is ZIP code 50311 in?

ZIP code 50311 falls within Polk County, Iowa.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 50311?

21% of residents in ZIP code 50311 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What is the population of ZIP code 50311?

ZIP code 50311 has an estimated population of 15,869 residents, with a density of 6,218 people per square mile.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 50311?

The median home value in ZIP code 50311 is $214,500.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 50311?

The median household income in ZIP code 50311 is $62,166, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 50311 in?

ZIP code 50311 observes the CST timezone.