50536 ZIP Code — Emmetsburg, IA

Palo Alto County, Iowa

ZIP code 50536 is located in Emmetsburg, Iowa, within Palo Alto County. It covers approximately 142.28 square miles and serves a population of 4,304 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 712.

About ZIP code 50536

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 $123,800. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 72%.

Median household income is $60,000. 47% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 14 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 20% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

4,304

population

142.28

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

50536 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 50536

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 50536. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Emmetsburg	Acceptable
Emmetsburg	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

50528 Cylinder (8.2 mi) 51342 Graettinger (8.6 mi) 51358 Ruthven (10.2 mi) 50562 Mallard (10.3 mi) 50527 Curlew (10.8 mi) 50515 Ayrshire (11.6 mi) 50598 Whittemore (13.5 mi) 51365 Wallingford (13.7 mi) 51333 Dickens (15.1 mi) 50578 Ringsted (15.4 mi) 50597 West Bend (15.8 mi) 50539 Fenton (17.1 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	4,304
Population density	30 / sq mi
State FIPS	19
County FIPS	147

Geography
Land area	142.28 sq mi
Water area	1.54 sq mi
Latitude	43.1040
Longitude	-94.6888
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	712

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	46.1%	43.5%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	36.4%	34.8%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	14.9%	18.6%	21.5%
Over $200k	2.5%	3.2%	5.0%

Demographics & statistics

4,304

Population

People per sq mi

41.8

Median age

$60,000

Median household income

$31,763

Per capita income

$123,800

Median home value

$657

Median monthly rent

71.8%

Home ownership

15.1%

Poverty rate

3.5%

Unemployment

1,640

Housing units

20.3%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

122

Under 5

113

167

5–9

154

127

10–14

117

126

15–19

116

177

20–24

164

204

25–34

189

264

35–44

244

193

45–54

179

202

55–59

186

128

60–64

119

244

65–74

225

143

75–84

133

139

85+

129

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	918	21.3%
18 and over	3,386	78.7%
65 and over	1,013	23.5%
Median age	41.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 96.2%

Two or more races 1.9%

Asian 0.9%

Hispanic or Latino 0.9%

Group	Count	%
White	4,180	96.2%
Two or more races	81	1.9%
Asian	41	0.9%
Hispanic or Latino	39	0.9%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	46.1%	43.5%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	36.4%	34.8%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	14.9%	18.6%	21.5%
Over $200k	2.5%	3.2%	5.0%

Under $10k 3.2%

$10k–$15k 7.0%

$15k–$25k 9.5%

$25k–$35k 12.0%

$35k–$50k 8.6%

$50k–$75k 19.7%

$75k–$100k 14.0%

$100k–$150k 19.5%

$150k–$200k 2.1%

$200k+ 4.2%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.2%
$10k–$15k	7.0%
$15k–$25k	9.5%
$25k–$35k	12.0%
$35k–$50k	8.6%
$50k–$75k	19.7%
$75k–$100k	14.0%
$100k–$150k	19.5%
$150k–$200k	2.1%
$200k+	4.2%
Median income	$60,000

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 11.4%

$50k–$100k 24.7%

$100k–$150k 24.5%

$150k–$200k 9.6%

$200k–$300k 15.4%

$300k–$500k 8.9%

$500k–$1M 5.0%

$1M+ 0.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$123,800
Median rent / month	$657
Owner occupied	71.8%
Renter occupied	28.2%
Vacant	16.5%
Single-family detached	78.8%
Large apartment buildings	3.8%
Mobile homes	2.0%
Median rooms	6.1
Avg household size (owned)	2.46

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	3.4%
2000–2009	4.5%
1990–1999	6.2%
1980–1989	7.4%
1970–1979	15.3%
1960–1969	15.8%
1950–1959	10.7%
1940–1949	5.7%
1939 or earlier	30.9%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.2%
1 bedroom	10.7%
2 bedrooms	26.7%
3 bedrooms	37.8%
4 bedrooms	14.8%
5+ bedrooms	8.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.2%
1 vehicle	30.6%
2 vehicles	36.8%
3 or more	28.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	64.5%
Electricity	19.5%
Propane / LP gas	15.6%
No fuel used	0.4%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	760	42.4%
Cohabiting couple	179	10.0%
Male householder, no spouse	448	25.0%
Female householder, no spouse	405	22.6%
Households with children under 18	504	28.1%
Households with seniors (65+)	712	39.7%
Average household size	2.26

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	31.5%	23.7%
Married	43.2%	49.5%
Separated	0.0%	1.3%
Widowed	6.1%	15.7%
Divorced	19.2%	9.8%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.9%

Some HS, no diploma 5.5%

HS graduate 29.4%

Some college, no degree 28.8%

Associate's degree 14.1%

Bachelor's degree 13.4%

Graduate / professional 6.9%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	92.6%
Bachelor's or higher	20.3%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	113	11.5%
Kindergarten	61	6.2%
Elementary school	438	44.5%
High school	151	15.3%
College / grad school	222	22.5%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 23.8%

Manufacturing 16.0%

Retail trade 11.1%

Agriculture & mining 9.7%

Construction 7.8%

Arts, food & hospitality 6.3%

Transportation & utilities 5.4%

Finance & real estate 4.9%

Professional & management 4.8%

Wholesale trade 3.7%

Other services 2.5%

Public administration 2.2%

Information 1.8%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	32.9%
Service	10.3%
Sales & office	20.3%
Natural resources & construction	9.9%
Production & transportation	26.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	78.4%
Government	15.4%
Self-employed	6.2%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	79.6%
Carpool	7.2%
Public transit	1.1%
Walk	2.4%
Work from home	6.7%
Other means	3.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	14.3

Poverty

All people 15.1%

Under 18 years 31.8%

18 and over 10.4%

Married-couple families 9.7%

Female-led households 17.1%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	46.7%
Retirement income	20.9%
Supplemental Security	6.2%
Cash public assistance	3.5%
Food stamps / SNAP	11.3%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	36.0%
High blood pressure	33.2%
High cholesterol	33.7%
Diabetes	9.5%
Heart disease	6.8%
Stroke	3.0%
Asthma	9.1%
Arthritis	25.7%
Kidney disease	2.9%
Pulmonary disease	6.3%
Cancer	8.0%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	14.6%
Binge drinking	21.4%
No physical activity	23.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	28.2%
Depression	16.2%
Fair or poor health	11.5%
Poor mental health	12.6%
Poor physical health	8.9%
No health insurance	8.6%
Visited doctor (checkup)	75.4%
Visited dentist	71.3%
Cholesterol screening	88.6%
Teeth loss	11.4%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	301	8.9%

Disability	%
Any disability	15.6%
Under 18	7.5%
18–64 years	11.8%
65 and over	33.7%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	69.4%
Public insurance	44.9%
No insurance	2.4%
Uninsured under 19	3.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	4,069	94.5%
Spanish	4	0.1%
Other Indo-European	4	0.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	4,251	98.8%
Born in same state	4,251	98.8%
Born in different state	3,674	85.4%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	53	1.2%
Not a US citizen	47	88.7%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	823	19.1%
Polish	436	10.1%
French	337	7.8%

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	194	4.5%
Dutch	122	2.8%
English	89	2.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	41.6%
Internet access	90.2%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 50536

What city is ZIP code 50536 in?

ZIP code 50536 is primarily assigned to Emmetsburg, Iowa.

What county is ZIP code 50536 in?

ZIP code 50536 falls within Palo Alto County, Iowa.

Does ZIP code 50536 have a large retiree population?

47% of households in ZIP code 50536 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 50536?

15% of residents in ZIP code 50536 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 50536?

The median home value in ZIP code 50536 is $123,800.

What is the population of ZIP code 50536?

ZIP code 50536 has an estimated population of 4,304 residents, with a density of 30 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 50536 in?

ZIP code 50536 observes the CST timezone.