50578 ZIP Code — Ringsted, IA

Emmet County, Iowa

ZIP code 50578 is located in Ringsted, Iowa, within Emmet County. It covers approximately 69.06 square miles and serves a population of 687 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 712.

About ZIP code 50578

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 $80,000. Owner-occupancy is high at 85%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $67,500. Poverty affects 25% of residents, above the national average. 37% 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 22 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 50578 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

687

population

69.06

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

50578 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 50578

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 50578. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Ringsted	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

50539 Fenton (8.4 mi) 50514 Armstrong (8.4 mi) 51365 Wallingford (8.9 mi) 51342 Graettinger (9.7 mi) 50531 Dolliver (10.4 mi) 51334 Estherville (11.6 mi) 50528 Cylinder (12.1 mi) 50559 Lone Rock (14.2 mi) 50536 Emmetsburg (15.4 mi) 50517 Bancroft (15.8 mi) 50590 Swea City (15.9 mi) 50598 Whittemore (16.5 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	687
Population density	10 / sq mi
State FIPS	19
County FIPS	063

Geography
Land area	69.06 sq mi
Water area	0.03 sq mi
Latitude	43.3056
Longitude	-94.5607
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	43.7%	44.4%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	37.8%	36.0%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	16.8%	16.7%	21.5%
Over $200k	1.7%	2.9%	5.0%

Demographics & statistics

687

Population

People per sq mi

36.3

Median age

$67,500

Median household income

$36,535

Per capita income

$80,000

Median home value

$642

Median monthly rent

84.7%

Home ownership

24.9%

Poverty rate

1.3%

Unemployment

290

Housing units

14.0%

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	153	22.3%
18 and over	534	77.7%
65 and over	104	15.1%
Median age	36.3 years

Race & ethnicity

White 90.4%

Two or more races 7.2%

Hispanic or Latino 1.2%

Black or African American 0.7%

Other race 0.6%

Group	Count	%
White	628	90.4%
Two or more races	50	7.2%
Hispanic or Latino	8	1.2%
Black or African American	5	0.7%
Other race	4	0.6%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	43.7%	44.4%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	37.8%	36.0%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	16.8%	16.7%	21.5%
Over $200k	1.7%	2.9%	5.0%

Under $10k 1.1%

$10k–$15k 5.1%

$15k–$25k 2.9%

$25k–$35k 9.9%

$35k–$50k 16.1%

$50k–$75k 23.7%

$75k–$100k 20.1%

$100k–$150k 10.6%

$150k–$200k 3.6%

$200k+ 6.9%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	1.1%
$10k–$15k	5.1%
$15k–$25k	2.9%
$25k–$35k	9.9%
$35k–$50k	16.1%
$50k–$75k	23.7%
$75k–$100k	20.1%
$100k–$150k	10.6%
$150k–$200k	3.6%
$200k+	6.9%
Median income	$67,500

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 40.9%

$50k–$100k 11.6%

$100k–$150k 10.8%

$150k–$200k 11.2%

$200k–$300k 15.1%

$300k–$500k 8.6%

$500k–$1M 0.4%

$1M+ 1.3%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$80,000
Median rent / month	$642
Owner occupied	84.7%
Renter occupied	15.3%
Vacant	17.5%
Single-family detached	93.7%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	0.9%
Median rooms	6.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.35

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	0.0%
2000–2009	0.0%
1990–1999	3.0%
1980–1989	6.0%
1970–1979	23.5%
1960–1969	10.8%
1950–1959	11.1%
1940–1949	7.5%
1939 or earlier	38.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	3.6%
2 bedrooms	32.8%
3 bedrooms	38.0%
4 bedrooms	24.4%
5+ bedrooms	1.2%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	1.1%
1 vehicle	23.4%
2 vehicles	29.9%
3 or more	45.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	56.2%
Electricity	14.2%
Propane / LP gas	24.1%
No fuel used	5.5%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	121	44.2%
Cohabiting couple	45	16.4%
Male householder, no spouse	63	23.0%
Female householder, no spouse	45	16.4%
Households with children under 18	55	20.1%
Households with seniors (65+)	64	23.4%
Average household size	2.51

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	31.9%	34.0%
Married	45.4%	50.2%
Separated	3.1%	3.9%
Widowed	5.4%	3.5%
Divorced	14.2%	8.5%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.6%

Some HS, no diploma 3.3%

HS graduate 28.9%

Some college, no degree 24.4%

Associate's degree 28.9%

Bachelor's degree 12.0%

Graduate / professional 2.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	96.1%
Bachelor's or higher	14.0%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	4	3.1%
Kindergarten	15	11.8%
Elementary school	46	36.2%
High school	42	33.1%
College / grad school	20	15.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Agriculture & mining 18.8%

Education & healthcare 18.1%

Manufacturing 12.8%

Retail trade 10.2%

Construction 8.1%

Finance & real estate 5.5%

Transportation & utilities 5.2%

Arts, food & hospitality 5.0%

Wholesale trade 4.5%

Professional & management 4.2%

Public administration 3.1%

Other services 2.4%

Information 2.1%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	40.6%
Service	8.6%
Sales & office	23.8%
Natural resources & construction	8.1%
Production & transportation	18.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	61.0%
Government	19.6%
Self-employed	19.4%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	90.6%
Carpool	2.7%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.3%
Work from home	6.1%
Other means	0.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	21.9

Poverty

All people 24.9%

Under 18 years 60.1%

18 and over 14.8%

Married-couple families 7.4%

Female-led households 23.3%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	37.2%
Retirement income	15.0%
Supplemental Security	0.4%
Cash public assistance	2.6%
Food stamps / SNAP	12.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	39.7%
High blood pressure	39.5%
High cholesterol	38.3%
Diabetes	12.2%
Heart disease	8.8%
Stroke	3.9%
Asthma	9.4%
Arthritis	30.1%
Kidney disease	3.6%
Pulmonary disease	8.5%
Cancer	8.7%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	18.2%
Binge drinking	19.4%
No physical activity	27.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	29.8%
Depression	17.3%
Fair or poor health	15.0%
Poor mental health	13.1%
Poor physical health	11.2%
No health insurance	9.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.0%
Visited dentist	65.8%
Cholesterol screening	89.8%
Teeth loss	14.6%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	25	4.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	16.3%
Under 18	17.6%
18–64 years	15.1%
65 and over	19.2%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	63.3%
Public insurance	47.9%
No insurance	3.3%
Uninsured under 19	0.6%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	636	92.6%
Spanish	4	0.6%
Other Indo-European	4	0.6%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	684	99.6%
Born in same state	684	99.6%
Born in different state	479	69.7%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	3	0.4%
Not a US citizen	3	100.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	129	18.8%
Dutch	83	12.1%
Polish	74	10.8%

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	34	4.9%
French	12	1.7%
English	7	1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	39.9%
Internet access	94.2%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 50578

What city is ZIP code 50578 in?

ZIP code 50578 is primarily assigned to Ringsted, Iowa.

What county is ZIP code 50578 in?

ZIP code 50578 falls within Emmet County, Iowa.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 50578?

25% of residents in ZIP code 50578 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Is ZIP code 50578 mostly owner-occupied?

85% of occupied units in ZIP code 50578 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 50578?

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 50578 have a large retiree population?

37% of households in ZIP code 50578 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What timezone is ZIP code 50578 in?

ZIP code 50578 observes the CST timezone.