50542 ZIP Code — Goldfield, IA

Wright County, Iowa

ZIP code 50542 is located in Goldfield, Iowa, within Wright County. It covers approximately 66.06 square miles and serves a population of 949 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 515.

About ZIP code 50542

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 $101,900. Owner-occupancy is high at 88%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $64,375. 40% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is production, transportation, and material moving, with manufacturing as the leading industry. The average commute of 20 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 21% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Overall, ZIP code 50542 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

949

population

66.06

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

50542 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 50542

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 50542. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Goldfield	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

50577 Renwick (4.7 mi) 50591 Thor (8.6 mi) 50533 Eagle Grove (10 mi) 50525 Clarion (10.9 mi) 50526 Clarion (11.7 mi) 50558 Livermore (12 mi) 50447 Kanawha (12.3 mi) 50529 Dakota City (13.3 mi) 50594 Vincent (14 mi) 50548 Humboldt (14.2 mi) 50560 Lu Verne (14.3 mi) 50430 Corwith (14.4 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	949
Population density	14 / sq mi
State FIPS	19
County FIPS	197

Geography
Land area	66.06 sq mi
Water area	0.01 sq mi
Latitude	42.7871
Longitude	-93.9515
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	47.0%	48.9%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	25.9%	33.3%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	24.8%	15.3%	21.5%
Over $200k	2.3%	2.5%	5.0%

Demographics & statistics

949

Population

People per sq mi

46.1

Median age

$64,375

Median household income

$35,858

Per capita income

$101,900

Median home value

$822

Median monthly rent

87.9%

Home ownership

9.6%

Poverty rate

4.7%

Unemployment

423

Housing units

20.6%

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

101

65–74

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	143	15.1%
18 and over	806	84.9%
65 and over	231	24.3%
Median age	46.1 years

Race & ethnicity

White 94.8%

Two or more races 3.1%

Hispanic or Latino 1.5%

Other race 0.5%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	913	94.8%
Two or more races	30	3.1%
Hispanic or Latino	14	1.5%
Other race	5	0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	47.0%	48.9%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	25.9%	33.3%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	24.8%	15.3%	21.5%
Over $200k	2.3%	2.5%	5.0%

Under $10k 1.5%

$10k–$15k 4.2%

$15k–$25k 7.2%

$25k–$35k 10.1%

$35k–$50k 19.3%

$50k–$75k 20.5%

$75k–$100k 7.7%

$100k–$150k 17.8%

$150k–$200k 8.9%

$200k+ 3.0%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	1.5%
$10k–$15k	4.2%
$15k–$25k	7.2%
$25k–$35k	10.1%
$35k–$50k	19.3%
$50k–$75k	20.5%
$75k–$100k	7.7%
$100k–$150k	17.8%
$150k–$200k	8.9%
$200k+	3.0%
Median income	$64,375

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 20.2%

$50k–$100k 28.9%

$100k–$150k 15.7%

$150k–$200k 18.3%

$200k–$300k 13.8%

$300k–$500k 2.5%

$500k–$1M 0.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$101,900
Median rent / month	$822
Owner occupied	87.9%
Renter occupied	12.1%
Vacant	14.2%
Single-family detached	92.8%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	0.0%
Median rooms	6.0
Avg household size (owned)	2.38

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	0.4%
2000–2009	5.9%
1990–1999	3.0%
1980–1989	5.5%
1970–1979	22.0%
1960–1969	2.5%
1950–1959	7.2%
1940–1949	3.8%
1939 or earlier	49.6%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	5.1%
2 bedrooms	28.4%
3 bedrooms	52.5%
4 bedrooms	11.2%
5+ bedrooms	2.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	10.6%
1 vehicle	15.1%
2 vehicles	53.3%
3 or more	21.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	56.8%
Electricity	25.7%
Propane / LP gas	15.3%
Wood	2.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	257	63.5%
Cohabiting couple	34	8.4%
Male householder, no spouse	60	14.8%
Female householder, no spouse	54	13.3%
Households with children under 18	76	18.8%
Households with seniors (65+)	151	37.3%
Average household size	2.34

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	30.1%	22.6%
Married	63.6%	62.8%
Separated	0.0%	0.0%
Widowed	1.4%	10.9%
Divorced	5.0%	3.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.9%

Some HS, no diploma 6.4%

HS graduate 32.1%

Some college, no degree 25.7%

Associate's degree 14.3%

Bachelor's degree 18.4%

Graduate / professional 2.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	92.7%
Bachelor's or higher	20.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	2	1.2%
Kindergarten	1	0.6%
Elementary school	87	53.4%
High school	65	39.9%
College / grad school	8	4.9%

Employment

Industry of employment

Manufacturing 19.4%

Education & healthcare 15.8%

Professional & management 9.8%

Construction 8.7%

Agriculture & mining 7.7%

Wholesale trade 7.5%

Retail trade 7.2%

Transportation & utilities 6.8%

Finance & real estate 6.0%

Other services 4.7%

Information 2.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 2.3%

Public administration 1.5%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	23.9%
Service	10.7%
Sales & office	27.5%
Natural resources & construction	8.5%
Production & transportation	29.4%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	80.4%
Government	6.8%
Self-employed	11.7%
Unpaid family workers	1.1%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	86.4%
Carpool	4.9%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	1.3%
Work from home	6.2%
Other means	1.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	19.5

Poverty

All people 9.6%

Under 18 years 6.3%

18 and over 10.2%

Married-couple families 2.7%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	40.0%
Retirement income	21.0%
Supplemental Security	4.0%
Cash public assistance	1.5%
Food stamps / SNAP	6.7%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	37.3%
High blood pressure	35.5%
High cholesterol	35.7%
Diabetes	10.9%
Heart disease	7.5%
Stroke	3.2%
Asthma	9.2%
Arthritis	26.5%
Kidney disease	3.0%
Pulmonary disease	7.1%
Cancer	7.9%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	17.0%
Binge drinking	20.1%
No physical activity	24.5%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	30.5%
Depression	16.9%
Fair or poor health	12.7%
Poor mental health	12.7%
Poor physical health	9.7%
No health insurance	8.9%
Visited doctor (checkup)	75.4%
Visited dentist	67.8%
Cholesterol screening	90.0%
Teeth loss	12.2%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	51	6.3%

Disability	%
Any disability	14.2%
Under 18	5.6%
18–64 years	8.2%
65 and over	34.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	70.2%
Public insurance	41.2%
No insurance	5.7%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	931	98.1%
Spanish	2	0.2%
Other Indo-European	2	0.2%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	948	99.9%
Born in same state	939	98.9%
Born in different state	776	81.8%
Foreign born	9	0.9%
Naturalized citizen	1	0.1%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	142	15%
French	134	14.1%
Italian	56	5.9%
Arab	18	1.9%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	17	1.8%
Dutch	11	1.2%
German	4	0.4%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	42.7%
Internet access	97.0%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 50542

What city is ZIP code 50542 in?

ZIP code 50542 is primarily assigned to Goldfield, Iowa.

What county is ZIP code 50542 in?

ZIP code 50542 falls within Wright County, Iowa.

Is ZIP code 50542 mostly owner-occupied?

88% of occupied units in ZIP code 50542 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 50542 have a large retiree population?

40% of households in ZIP code 50542 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 50542?

The median home value in ZIP code 50542 is $101,900.

What is the population of ZIP code 50542?

ZIP code 50542 has an estimated population of 949 residents, with a density of 14 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 50542 in?

ZIP code 50542 observes the CST timezone.