50628 ZIP Code — Elma, IA

Howard County, Iowa

ZIP code 50628 is located in Elma, Iowa, within Howard County. It covers approximately 113.38 square miles and serves a population of 1,183 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 641.

About ZIP code 50628

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 $137,500. Owner-occupancy is high at 79%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $57,353. 43% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with agriculture and mining as the leading industry. The average commute of 25 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 14% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Overall, ZIP code 50628 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,183

population

113.38

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

50628 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 50628

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 50628. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Elma	Acceptable
Elma	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

52155 Lime Springs (7.9 mi) 50466 Riceville (8 mi) 52134 Chester (10.1 mi) 50603 Alta Vista (10.6 mi) 52136 Cresco (14.1 mi) 50460 Orchard (15.4 mi) 50659 New Hampton (16.9 mi) 55961 Ostrander (17.4 mi) 52154 Lawler (17.6 mi) 55951 Le Roy (19.3 mi) 50461 Osage (19.7 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	1,183
Population density	10 / sq mi
State FIPS	19
County FIPS	089

Geography
Land area	113.38 sq mi
Water area	0.07 sq mi
Latitude	43.3208
Longitude	-92.3965
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	45.6%	43.3%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	38.0%	37.4%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	14.5%	17.1%	21.5%
Over $200k	1.9%	2.2%	5.0%

Demographics & statistics

1,183

Population

People per sq mi

49.1

Median age

$57,353

Median household income

$32,166

Per capita income

$137,500

Median home value

$549

Median monthly rent

79.2%

Home ownership

10.4%

Poverty rate

1.2%

Unemployment

443

Housing units

14.3%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

45–54

55–59

60–64

65–74

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	229	19.4%
18 and over	954	80.6%
65 and over	347	29.3%
Median age	49.1 years

Race & ethnicity

White 96.7%

Two or more races 2.3%

Hispanic or Latino 1.1%

Group	Count	%
White	1,156	96.7%
Two or more races	27	2.3%
Hispanic or Latino	13	1.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	45.6%	43.3%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	38.0%	37.4%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	14.5%	17.1%	21.5%
Over $200k	1.9%	2.2%	5.0%

Under $10k 1.7%

$10k–$15k 5.4%

$15k–$25k 18.3%

$25k–$35k 6.0%

$35k–$50k 11.6%

$50k–$75k 25.3%

$75k–$100k 11.8%

$100k–$150k 10.4%

$150k–$200k 1.9%

$200k+ 7.5%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	1.7%
$10k–$15k	5.4%
$15k–$25k	18.3%
$25k–$35k	6.0%
$35k–$50k	11.6%
$50k–$75k	25.3%
$75k–$100k	11.8%
$100k–$150k	10.4%
$150k–$200k	1.9%
$200k+	7.5%
Median income	$57,353

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 15.6%

$50k–$100k 20.7%

$100k–$150k 21.0%

$150k–$200k 10.0%

$200k–$300k 16.6%

$300k–$500k 8.3%

$500k–$1M 7.8%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$137,500
Median rent / month	$549
Owner occupied	79.2%
Renter occupied	20.8%
Vacant	6.0%
Single-family detached	88.6%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	3.1%
Median rooms	6.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.23

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	8.7%
2000–2009	10.9%
1990–1999	5.3%
1980–1989	4.5%
1970–1979	10.9%
1960–1969	2.9%
1950–1959	1.5%
1940–1949	12.3%
1939 or earlier	43.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	6.4%
2 bedrooms	22.1%
3 bedrooms	42.8%
4 bedrooms	22.9%
5+ bedrooms	5.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	5.6%
1 vehicle	27.0%
2 vehicles	33.2%
3 or more	34.2%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	4.1%
Electricity	8.7%
Propane / LP gas	72.2%
Fuel oil	12.7%
Wood	2.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	257	49.6%
Cohabiting couple	47	9.1%
Male householder, no spouse	55	10.6%
Female householder, no spouse	159	30.7%
Households with children under 18	129	24.9%
Households with seniors (65+)	228	44.0%
Average household size	2.21

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	33.0%	18.5%
Married	55.8%	51.0%
Separated	0.2%	1.6%
Widowed	3.4%	19.4%
Divorced	7.7%	9.5%

Education

Less than 9th grade 6.6%

Some HS, no diploma 1.7%

HS graduate 43.2%

Some college, no degree 15.6%

Associate's degree 18.6%

Bachelor's degree 13.3%

Graduate / professional 1.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	91.7%
Bachelor's or higher	14.3%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	7	3.2%
Kindergarten	11	5.0%
Elementary school	92	42.2%
High school	75	34.4%
College / grad school	33	15.1%

Employment

Industry of employment

Agriculture & mining 21.3%

Education & healthcare 20.4%

Manufacturing 20.2%

Transportation & utilities 12.3%

Retail trade 6.2%

Construction 4.2%

Finance & real estate 4.0%

Other services 3.7%

Wholesale trade 2.5%

Arts, food & hospitality 2.5%

Professional & management 1.6%

Public administration 1.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	32.0%
Service	16.2%
Sales & office	19.2%
Natural resources & construction	13.9%
Production & transportation	18.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	66.3%
Government	15.3%
Self-employed	18.5%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	74.9%
Carpool	6.6%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	1.5%
Work from home	17.1%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	25.4

Poverty

All people 10.4%

Under 18 years 14.7%

18 and over 9.3%

Married-couple families 1.9%

Female-led households 63.8%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	42.7%
Retirement income	19.1%
Supplemental Security	4.4%
Cash public assistance	1.2%
Food stamps / SNAP	10.6%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	40.4%
High blood pressure	38.1%
High cholesterol	36.9%
Diabetes	12.1%
Heart disease	8.8%
Stroke	4.0%
Asthma	9.3%
Arthritis	30.1%
Kidney disease	3.6%
Pulmonary disease	8.7%
Cancer	8.7%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	18.7%
Binge drinking	19.1%
No physical activity	27.3%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	30.8%
Depression	17.0%
Fair or poor health	15.6%
Poor mental health	13.2%
Poor physical health	11.4%
No health insurance	10.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.5%
Visited dentist	61.9%
Cholesterol screening	89.3%
Teeth loss	14.8%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	93	9.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	11.7%
Under 18	6.1%
18–64 years	5.9%
65 and over	27.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	65.7%
Public insurance	45.6%
No insurance	13.6%
Uninsured under 19	28.4%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,126	95.2%
Spanish	47	4.2%
Other Indo-European	7	0.6%
Asian & Pacific Islander	40	3.6%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,167	98.6%
Born in same state	1,160	98.1%
Born in different state	939	79.4%
Foreign born	7	0.6%
Naturalized citizen	16	1.4%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	176	14.9%
Polish	100	8.5%
Arab	67	5.7%

Ancestry	Count	%
French	64	5.4%
Dutch	14	1.2%
English	8	0.7%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	43.8%
Internet access	82.4%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 50628

What city is ZIP code 50628 in?

ZIP code 50628 is primarily assigned to Elma, Iowa.

What county is ZIP code 50628 in?

ZIP code 50628 falls within Howard County, Iowa.

Does ZIP code 50628 have an older population?

29% of residents in ZIP code 50628 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 50628?

14% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

Does ZIP code 50628 have a large retiree population?

43% of households in ZIP code 50628 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 50628?

The median home value in ZIP code 50628 is $137,500.

What timezone is ZIP code 50628 in?

ZIP code 50628 observes the CST timezone.