Palo Alto County, IA ZIP Codes
Iowa (IA) · 8 ZIP codes · 8 cities
8
ZIP codes
8,906
population (2021)
-5.5%
pop change since 2010
19147
FIPS code
Palo Alto County ZIP code map
About Palo Alto County
Palo Alto County is located in Iowa and contains 8 ZIP codes across 8 cities and communities.
The county's population was 8,906 as of 2021,
a decrease of
5.5% from 9,421 in 2010.
The timezone is Mountain Time (observes DST).
The Federal Information Processing System (FIPS) code for Palo Alto County is 19147.
| Population | |
|---|---|
| 2021 population | 8,906 |
| 2010 population | 9,421 |
| Change | -5.5% |
| County details | |
|---|---|
| State | Iowa |
| FIPS code | 19147 |
| Timezone | Mountain |
| Daylight saving | Yes |
Cities in Palo Alto County
ZIP codes for Palo Alto County, IA (8)
| ZIP code | City | County | Map |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50515 | Ayrshire | Palo Alto | View map |
| 50527 | Curlew | Palo Alto | View map |
| 50528 | Cylinder | Palo Alto | View map |
| 50536 | Emmetsburg | Palo Alto | View map |
| 50562 | Mallard | Palo Alto | View map |
| 50597 | West Bend | Palo Alto | View map |
| 51342 | Graettinger | Palo Alto | View map |
| 51358 | Ruthven | Palo Alto | View map |
Demographics & statistics
7,993
Population
42.7
Median age
$63,321
Median household income
$33,287
Per capita income
$77,843
Median home value
$668
Median monthly rent
77.7%
Home ownership
10.8%
Poverty rate
4.0%
Unemployment
3,416
Housing units
18.8%
Bachelor's or higher
Age distribution
Male
Female
237
Under 5
208
276
5–9
243
267
10–14
235
262
15–19
230
262
20–24
230
443
25–34
390
488
35–44
429
469
45–54
413
318
55–59
279
279
60–64
245
530
65–74
465
239
75–84
211
184
85+
161
← Male
Female →
Age summary
| Group | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 1,783 | 21.7% |
| 18 and over | 6,210 | 78.3% |
| 65 and over | 1,790 | 22.0% |
| Median age | 42.7 years | |
Race & ethnicity
White
91%
Two or more races
3.8%
Hispanic or Latino
2.3%
Black or African American
2.1%
Asian
0.6%
Other race
0.2%
| Group | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| White | 7,442 | 91% |
| Two or more races | 311 | 3.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 189 | 2.3% |
| Black or African American | 173 | 2.1% |
| Asian | 50 | 0.6% |
| Other race | 17 | 0.2% |
Household income
Under $10k
4.1%
$10k–$15k
4.0%
$15k–$25k
6.7%
$25k–$35k
7.9%
$35k–$50k
17.5%
$50k–$75k
19.0%
$75k–$100k
11.9%
$100k–$150k
16.8%
$150k–$200k
3.6%
$200k+
8.4%
| Range | % of households |
|---|---|
| Under $10k | 4.1% |
| $10k–$15k | 4.0% |
| $15k–$25k | 6.7% |
| $25k–$35k | 7.9% |
| $35k–$50k | 17.5% |
| $50k–$75k | 19.0% |
| $75k–$100k | 11.9% |
| $100k–$150k | 16.8% |
| $150k–$200k | 3.6% |
| $200k+ | 8.4% |
| Median income | $63,321 |
Housing
Home values
Under $50k
23.3%
$50k–$100k
28.0%
$100k–$150k
15.9%
$150k–$200k
7.9%
$200k–$300k
9.2%
$300k–$500k
12.0%
$500k–$1M
2.1%
$1M+
1.7%
Housing overview
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median home value | $77,843 |
| Median rent / month | $668 |
| Owner occupied | 77.7% |
| Renter occupied | 22.3% |
| Vacant | 23.7% |
| Single-family detached | 90.8% |
| Large apartment buildings | 0.8% |
| Mobile homes | 1.6% |
| Median rooms | 6.8 |
| Avg household size (owned) | 2.39 |
Year built
| Era | % |
|---|---|
| 2020 or later | 0.4% |
| 2010–2019 | 3.0% |
| 2000–2009 | 4.1% |
| 1990–1999 | 6.1% |
| 1980–1989 | 3.6% |
| 1970–1979 | 14.4% |
| 1960–1969 | 8.3% |
| 1950–1959 | 10.9% |
| 1940–1949 | 9.9% |
| 1939 or earlier | 39.5% |
Bedrooms
| Size | % of units |
|---|---|
| No bedroom (studio) | 0.2% |
| 1 bedroom | 8.9% |
| 2 bedrooms | 21.8% |
| 3 bedrooms | 38.2% |
| 4 bedrooms | 24.1% |
| 5+ bedrooms | 6.8% |
Vehicles per household
| Vehicles | % of households |
|---|---|
| No vehicle | 3.4% |
| 1 vehicle | 23.1% |
| 2 vehicles | 44.6% |
| 3 or more | 29.0% |
Heating fuel
| Fuel type | % |
|---|---|
| Utility gas | 28.4% |
| Electricity | 24.1% |
| Propane / LP gas | 40.4% |
| Fuel oil | 1.7% |
| Wood | 1.9% |
| Solar | 0.1% |
| No fuel used | 0.4% |
Households & families
| Household type | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Married-couple family | 1,568 | 52.0% |
| Cohabiting couple | 309 | 9.2% |
| Male householder, no spouse | 778 | 21.2% |
| Female householder, no spouse | 718 | 17.5% |
| Households with children under 18 | 888 | 25.3% |
| Households with seniors (65+) | 1,260 | 34.0% |
| Average household size | 2.33 | |
Marital status
| Status | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Never married | 31.7% | 18.5% |
| Married | 50.1% | 59.0% |
| Separated | 1.4% | 0.4% |
| Widowed | 2.4% | 10.4% |
| Divorced | 14.3% | 11.7% |
Education
Less than 9th grade
1.5%
Some HS, no diploma
5.3%
HS graduate
33.0%
Some college, no degree
26.3%
Associate's degree
15.1%
Bachelor's degree
15.2%
Graduate / professional
3.7%
| Metric | % |
|---|---|
| HS diploma or higher | 93.2% |
| Bachelor's or higher | 18.8% |
School enrollment (ages 3–17)
| Type | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Nursery / preschool | 162 | 4.9% |
| Kindergarten | 127 | 11.4% |
| Elementary school | 826 | 41.4% |
| High school | 355 | 23.9% |
| College / grad school | 306 | 18.4% |
Employment
Industry of employment
Education & healthcare
18.7%
Agriculture & mining
15.6%
Retail trade
12.2%
Construction
11.4%
Manufacturing
9.7%
Wholesale trade
5.4%
Arts, food & hospitality
5.4%
Public administration
4.8%
Transportation & utilities
4.6%
Other services
3.9%
Finance & real estate
3.8%
Professional & management
3.4%
Information
1.2%
Occupation
| Category | % |
|---|---|
| Management, business & arts | 29.2% |
| Service | 11.2% |
| Sales & office | 24.5% |
| Natural resources & construction | 20.0% |
| Production & transportation | 15.1% |
Employment type
| Type | % |
|---|---|
| Private sector | 73.5% |
| Government | 11.6% |
| Self-employed | 12.6% |
| Unpaid family workers | 2.2% |
Commute
| Method | % |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 75.5% |
| Carpool | 10.0% |
| Public transit | 0.6% |
| Walk | 2.4% |
| Other means | 0.7% |
| Avg commute (minutes) | 20.4 |
Poverty
All people
10.8%
Under 18 years
15.3%
18 and over
9.6%
Married-couple families
3.6%
Female-led households
38.8%
Income support
| Source | % of households |
|---|---|
| Social Security | 37.3% |
| Retirement income | 21.4% |
| Supplemental Security | 4.5% |
| Cash public assistance | 5.1% |
| Food stamps / SNAP | 9.3% |
Health indicators
| Condition | % |
|---|---|
| High blood pressure | 35.9% |
| High cholesterol | 35.1% |
| Heart disease | 7.6% |
| Stroke | 3.4% |
| Asthma | 9.1% |
| Arthritis | 27.7% |
| Kidney disease | 3.1% |
| Pulmonary disease | 7.1% |
| Cancer | 8.2% |
| Behavior / access | % |
|---|---|
| Binge drinking | 20.8% |
| No physical activity | 24.6% |
| Less than 7 hrs sleep | 29.1% |
| Fair or poor health | 12.8% |
| Poor mental health | 12.5% |
| Poor physical health | 9.8% |
| No health insurance | 8.8% |
| Visited doctor (checkup) | 75.9% |
| Visited dentist | 69.3% |
| Cholesterol screening | 89.8% |
| Teeth loss | 12.2% |
Veterans & disability
| Veterans | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Civilian veterans | 498 | 7.5% |
| Disability | % |
|---|---|
| Any disability | 13.9% |
| Under 18 | 7.4% |
| 18–64 years | 10.2% |
| 65 and over | 26.6% |
Health insurance coverage
| Type | % |
|---|---|
| Private insurance | 67.5% |
| Public insurance | 40.2% |
| Uninsured under 19 | 4.4% |
Language & origin
Language spoken at home (age 5+)
| Language | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| English only | 7,548 | 94.9% |
| Spanish | 70 | 0.8% |
| Other Indo-European | 4 | 0.0% |
| Asian & Pacific Islander | 0 | 0.0% |
| Other languages | 4 | 0.0% |
Place of birth & citizenship
| Origin | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Native born (US) | 7,853 | 98.8% |
| Born in same state | 7,827 | 98.0% |
| Born in different state | 6,504 | 76.9% |
| Foreign born | 26 | 0.8% |
| Naturalized citizen | 140 | 1.2% |
| Not a US citizen | 115 | 37.2% |
Ancestry
| Ancestry | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Italian | 1,512 | 18.9% |
| Polish | 871 | 10.9% |
| French | 545 | 6.8% |
| Arab | 395 | 4.9% |
| Ancestry | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Dutch | 217 | 2.7% |
| English | 194 | 2.4% |
| German | 17 | 0.2% |
| Norwegian | 1 | 0% |
Technology access
| Metric | % of households |
|---|---|
| Computer access | 42.6% |
| Internet access | 92.5% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.
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