50438 ZIP Code — Garner, IA

Hancock County, Iowa

ZIP code 50438 is located in Garner, Iowa, within Hancock County. It covers approximately 127.51 square miles and serves a population of 3,989 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 641.

About ZIP code 50438

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 $160,100. Owner-occupancy is high at 79%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $70,000. 39% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with manufacturing as the leading industry. The average commute of 18 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 23% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 50438 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

3,989
population
127.51
sq mi land
Standard
ZIP type
Central (CT)
timezone
50438 ZIP code map
Cities in ZIP code 50438

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 50438. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City Status
Garner Acceptable
Garner Preferred
Nearby ZIP codes
50482 Ventura (8.4 mi) 50423 Britt (9 mi) 50449 Klemme (9 mi) 50436 Forest City (10.9 mi) 50428 Clear Lake (12.5 mi) 50479 Thornton (14.2 mi) 50434 Fertile (14.2 mi) 50457 Meservey (15.6 mi) 50447 Kanawha (15.6 mi) 50484 Woden (16.7 mi) 50453 Leland (17.5 mi) 50430 Corwith (17.8 mi)
Demographics updated 05/2026
Population
Total population 3,989
Population density 31 / sq mi
State FIPS 19
County FIPS 081
Geography
Land area 127.51 sq mi
Water area 0.06 sq mi
Latitude 43.1115
Longitude -93.6256
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 32.8% 38.3% 40.1%
$50k – $100k 44.3% 42.8% 33.4%
$100k – $200k 20.2% 16.7% 21.5%
Over $200k 2.7% 2.1% 5.0%

Demographics & statistics

3,989
Population
31
People per sq mi
47.5
Median age
$70,000
Median household income
$35,103
Per capita income
$160,100
Median home value
$745
Median monthly rent
79.2%
Home ownership
10.8%
Poverty rate
2.3%
Unemployment
1,367
Housing units
22.6%
Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female
149
Under 5
150
131
5–9
132
57
10–14
58
104
15–19
104
78
20–24
78
176
25–34
176
247
35–44
249
234
45–54
236
156
55–59
156
121
60–64
121
317
65–74
318
119
75–84
119
101
85+
102
← Male
Female →

Age summary

GroupCount%
Under 1880620.2%
18 and over3,18379.8%
65 and over1,07627.0%
Median age47.5 years

Race & ethnicity

White 95.1%
Black or African American 2%
Two or more races 1.3%
Hispanic or Latino 1.1%
Other race 0.5%
GroupCount%
White3,83795.1%
Black or African American802%
Two or more races511.3%
Hispanic or Latino441.1%
Other race210.5%

Household income

Income range This ZIP County avg State avg
Under $50k 32.8% 38.3% 40.1%
$50k – $100k 44.3% 42.8% 33.4%
$100k – $200k 20.2% 16.7% 21.5%
Over $200k 2.7% 2.1% 5.0%
Under $10k 5.0%
$10k–$15k 6.6%
$15k–$25k 6.5%
$25k–$35k 4.6%
$35k–$50k 10.9%
$50k–$75k 18.3%
$75k–$100k 16.8%
$100k–$150k 18.9%
$150k–$200k 6.8%
$200k+ 5.6%
Range% of households
Under $10k5.0%
$10k–$15k6.6%
$15k–$25k6.5%
$25k–$35k4.6%
$35k–$50k10.9%
$50k–$75k18.3%
$75k–$100k16.8%
$100k–$150k18.9%
$150k–$200k6.8%
$200k+5.6%
Median income$70,000

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 4.8%
$50k–$100k 19.1%
$100k–$150k 21.4%
$150k–$200k 23.0%
$200k–$300k 18.9%
$300k–$500k 11.8%
$500k–$1M 1.0%

Housing overview

MetricValue
Median home value$160,100
Median rent / month$745
Owner occupied79.2%
Renter occupied20.8%
Vacant2.5%
Single-family detached80.4%
Large apartment buildings2.2%
Mobile homes2.1%
Median rooms6.3
Avg household size (owned)2.37

Year built

Era%
2020 or later0.0%
2010–20190.9%
2000–20098.9%
1990–19998.2%
1980–19893.7%
1970–197922.0%
1960–19698.5%
1950–195917.1%
1940–19492.3%
1939 or earlier28.5%

Bedrooms

Size% of units
No bedroom (studio)0.6%
1 bedroom5.0%
2 bedrooms18.3%
3 bedrooms42.6%
4 bedrooms19.3%
5+ bedrooms14.2%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles% of households
No vehicle7.0%
1 vehicle20.4%
2 vehicles43.5%
3 or more29.1%

Heating fuel

Fuel type%
Utility gas62.9%
Electricity19.1%
Propane / LP gas17.9%

Households & families

Household typeCount%
Married-couple family1,02561.3%
Cohabiting couple724.3%
Male householder, no spouse24414.6%
Female householder, no spouse33119.8%
Households with children under 1841925.1%
Households with seniors (65+)68240.8%
Average household size2.32

Marital status

StatusMaleFemale
Never married24.7%14.6%
Married64.5%62.8%
Separated0.0%0.6%
Widowed1.4%12.1%
Divorced9.5%9.8%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.3%
Some HS, no diploma 7.7%
HS graduate 27.6%
Some college, no degree 23.6%
Associate's degree 16.2%
Bachelor's degree 19.1%
Graduate / professional 3.5%
Metric%
HS diploma or higher90.0%
Bachelor's or higher22.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

TypeCount%
Nursery / preschool284.8%
Kindergarten12120.9%
Elementary school25744.3%
High school13623.4%
College / grad school386.6%

Employment

Industry of employment

Manufacturing 24.0%
Education & healthcare 21.3%
Professional & management 10.1%
Retail trade 7.1%
Transportation & utilities 6.9%
Arts, food & hospitality 5.9%
Other services 4.9%
Agriculture & mining 4.0%
Construction 3.9%
Wholesale trade 3.8%
Finance & real estate 3.3%
Public administration 2.5%
Information 2.1%

Occupation

Category%
Management, business & arts40.5%
Service13.8%
Sales & office12.8%
Natural resources & construction12.5%
Production & transportation20.4%

Employment type

Type%
Private sector76.1%
Government14.1%
Self-employed9.7%
Unpaid family workers0.0%

Commute

Method%
Drive alone83.3%
Carpool5.3%
Public transit0.0%
Walk2.2%
Work from home6.0%
Other means3.2%
Avg commute (minutes)18.1

Poverty

All people 10.8%
Under 18 years 9.8%
18 and over 11.1%
Married-couple families 5.6%
Female-led households 27.2%

Income support

Source% of households
Social Security38.8%
Retirement income26.9%
Supplemental Security1.7%
Cash public assistance2.2%
Food stamps / SNAP6.1%

Health indicators

Condition%
Obesity34.4%
High blood pressure33.2%
High cholesterol34.4%
Diabetes9.5%
Heart disease6.7%
Stroke2.9%
Asthma8.8%
Arthritis25.8%
Kidney disease2.9%
Pulmonary disease6.2%
Cancer7.9%
Behavior / access%
Smoking14.9%
Binge drinking21.0%
No physical activity22.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep29.5%
Depression16.5%
Fair or poor health11.4%
Poor mental health12.4%
Poor physical health9.0%
No health insurance8.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)75.8%
Visited dentist70.5%
Cholesterol screening90.4%
Teeth loss10.5%

Veterans & disability

VeteransCount%
Civilian veterans2869.0%
Disability%
Any disability12.6%
Under 182.1%
18–64 years8.6%
65 and over29.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type%
Private insurance79.1%
Public insurance34.2%
No insurance4.8%
Uninsured under 191.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

LanguageCount%
English only3,69092.5%
Spanish10.0%
Other Indo-European10.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander00.0%
Other languages00.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

OriginCount%
Native born (US)3,93998.7%
Born in same state3,90697.9%
Born in different state3,15579.1%
Foreign born330.8%
Naturalized citizen501.3%
Not a US citizen1224.0%

Ancestry

AncestryCount%
Polish70217.6%
Italian2957.4%
French2536.3%
AncestryCount%
Arab1744.4%
English481.2%
Dutch381%

Technology access

Metric% of households
Computer access41.9%
Internet access88.4%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 50438

What city is ZIP code 50438 in?

ZIP code 50438 is primarily assigned to Garner, Iowa.

What county is ZIP code 50438 in?

ZIP code 50438 falls within Hancock County, Iowa.

Does ZIP code 50438 have an older population?

27% of residents in ZIP code 50438 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 50438 have a large retiree population?

39% of households in ZIP code 50438 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 50438?

The median home value in ZIP code 50438 is $160,100.

What is the population of ZIP code 50438?

ZIP code 50438 has an estimated population of 3,989 residents, with a density of 31 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 50438 in?

ZIP code 50438 observes the CST timezone.

Need the complete ZIP code database? Download all 42,000+ US ZIP codes — Excel, CSV, or Access. Includes lat/lng, county FIPS & timezone.
Download database →