50579 ZIP Code — Rockwell City, IA

Calhoun County, Iowa

ZIP code 50579 is located in Rockwell City, Iowa, within Calhoun County. It covers approximately 140.59 square miles and serves a population of 3,153 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 712.

About ZIP code 50579

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 $115,200. Owner-occupancy is high at 76%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $63,893. 43% 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 23 minutes is near the national average.

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

Overall, ZIP code 50579 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

3,153

population

140.59

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

50579 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 50579

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 50579. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Rockwell City	Acceptable
Rockwell City	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

50551 Jolley (8.7 mi) 51449 Lake City (9.1 mi) 50561 Lytton (9.4 mi) 50586 Somers (9.4 mi) 51453 Lohrville (9.5 mi) 50563 Manson (10.8 mi) 50575 Pomeroy (12.3 mi) 50538 Farnhamville (12.5 mi) 51433 Auburn (14.5 mi) 50518 Barnum (15.6 mi) 50540 Fonda (16.3 mi) 50566 Moorland (17 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	3,153
Population density	22 / sq mi
State FIPS	19
County FIPS	025

Geography
Land area	140.59 sq mi
Water area	1.29 sq mi
Latitude	42.3924
Longitude	-94.6405
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	55.4%	47.5%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	28.5%	31.1%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	10.9%	17.2%	21.5%
Over $200k	5.1%	4.2%	5.0%

Demographics & statistics

3,153

Population

People per sq mi

38.9

Median age

$63,893

Median household income

$28,092

Per capita income

$115,200

Median home value

$728

Median monthly rent

76.1%

Home ownership

10.1%

Poverty rate

1.9%

Unemployment

1,059

Housing units

20.3%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

134

5–9

114

10–14

104

15–19

107

20–24

274

25–34

201

279

35–44

204

216

45–54

158

114

55–59

103

60–64

157

65–74

114

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	661	21.0%
18 and over	2,492	79.0%
65 and over	557	17.7%
Median age	38.9 years

Race & ethnicity

White 88.3%

Two or more races 4.7%

Hispanic or Latino 3.1%

Black or African American 2%

Other race 1.3%

Asian 0.6%

Group	Count	%
White	2,873	88.3%
Two or more races	154	4.7%
Hispanic or Latino	101	3.1%
Black or African American	65	2%
Other race	42	1.3%
Asian	19	0.6%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	55.4%	47.5%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	28.5%	31.1%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	10.9%	17.2%	21.5%
Over $200k	5.1%	4.2%	5.0%

Under $10k 6.0%

$10k–$15k 5.1%

$15k–$25k 12.0%

$25k–$35k 11.7%

$35k–$50k 8.3%

$50k–$75k 18.1%

$75k–$100k 11.2%

$100k–$150k 15.4%

$150k–$200k 5.6%

$200k+ 6.6%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	6.0%
$10k–$15k	5.1%
$15k–$25k	12.0%
$25k–$35k	11.7%
$35k–$50k	8.3%
$50k–$75k	18.1%
$75k–$100k	11.2%
$100k–$150k	15.4%
$150k–$200k	5.6%
$200k+	6.6%
Median income	$63,893

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 15.9%

$50k–$100k 28.7%

$100k–$150k 12.9%

$150k–$200k 11.3%

$200k–$300k 14.1%

$300k–$500k 9.1%

$500k–$1M 7.9%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$115,200
Median rent / month	$728
Owner occupied	76.1%
Renter occupied	23.9%
Vacant	21.4%
Single-family detached	83.7%
Large apartment buildings	5.3%
Mobile homes	0.2%
Median rooms	6.5
Avg household size (owned)	2.49

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	1.3%
2000–2009	2.6%
1990–1999	2.2%
1980–1989	7.6%
1970–1979	14.6%
1960–1969	18.5%
1950–1959	17.5%
1940–1949	7.7%
1939 or earlier	27.9%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.9%
1 bedroom	7.4%
2 bedrooms	19.6%
3 bedrooms	40.0%
4 bedrooms	24.9%
5+ bedrooms	7.1%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.0%
1 vehicle	28.8%
2 vehicles	34.2%
3 or more	33.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	57.3%
Electricity	29.9%
Propane / LP gas	10.0%
Wood	1.2%
No fuel used	1.4%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	541	52.8%
Cohabiting couple	37	3.6%
Male householder, no spouse	135	13.2%
Female householder, no spouse	312	30.4%
Households with children under 18	310	30.2%
Households with seniors (65+)	403	39.3%
Average household size	2.52

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	39.4%	18.8%
Married	39.7%	50.2%
Separated	5.2%	2.7%
Widowed	3.0%	14.6%
Divorced	12.7%	13.7%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.6%

Some HS, no diploma 6.9%

HS graduate 38.3%

Some college, no degree 22.0%

Associate's degree 11.0%

Bachelor's degree 14.0%

Graduate / professional 6.2%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	91.5%
Bachelor's or higher	20.3%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	44	5.5%
Kindergarten	22	2.8%
Elementary school	324	40.7%
High school	192	24.1%
College / grad school	215	27.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 36.1%

Retail trade 15.1%

Agriculture & mining 8.3%

Public administration 7.0%

Other services 5.4%

Transportation & utilities 5.3%

Manufacturing 5.0%

Construction 4.0%

Professional & management 3.3%

Wholesale trade 3.0%

Arts, food & hospitality 3.0%

Finance & real estate 2.5%

Information 1.8%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	40.7%
Service	22.8%
Sales & office	13.2%
Natural resources & construction	11.1%
Production & transportation	12.3%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	67.1%
Government	19.4%
Self-employed	13.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.4%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	76.9%
Carpool	17.2%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.6%
Work from home	1.3%
Other means	4.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	22.6

Poverty

All people 10.1%

Under 18 years 8.2%

18 and over 10.7%

Married-couple families 2.4%

Female-led households 24.8%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	42.5%
Retirement income	22.5%
Supplemental Security	5.5%
Cash public assistance	3.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	10.3%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	39.1%
High blood pressure	39.1%
High cholesterol	37.1%
Diabetes	12.1%
Heart disease	8.6%
Stroke	3.9%
Asthma	9.3%
Arthritis	30.6%
Kidney disease	3.6%
Pulmonary disease	8.4%
Cancer	9.0%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	17.1%
Binge drinking	18.3%
No physical activity	26.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	29.5%
Depression	17.7%
Fair or poor health	14.9%
Poor mental health	12.8%
Poor physical health	11.0%
No health insurance	9.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.8%
Visited dentist	64.5%
Cholesterol screening	90.4%
Teeth loss	14.1%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	161	6.5%

Disability	%
Any disability	14.2%
Under 18	5.1%
18–64 years	13.2%
65 and over	28.2%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	65.2%
Public insurance	49.1%
No insurance	3.3%
Uninsured under 19	1.2%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	3,059	97.0%
Spanish	28	0.9%
Other Indo-European	23	0.8%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	5	0.2%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	3,115	98.8%
Born in same state	3,112	98.7%
Born in different state	2,435	77.2%
Foreign born	3	0.1%
Naturalized citizen	38	1.2%
Not a US citizen	30	78.9%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	425	13.5%
French	216	6.9%
Arab	130	4.1%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	66	2.1%
Polish	48	1.5%
Dutch	28	0.9%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	32.5%
Internet access	91.6%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 50579

What city is ZIP code 50579 in?

ZIP code 50579 is primarily assigned to Rockwell City, Iowa.

What county is ZIP code 50579 in?

ZIP code 50579 falls within Calhoun County, Iowa.

Does ZIP code 50579 have a large retiree population?

43% of households in ZIP code 50579 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 50579?

The median home value in ZIP code 50579 is $115,200.

What is the population of ZIP code 50579?

ZIP code 50579 has an estimated population of 3,153 residents, with a density of 22 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 50579?

The median household income in ZIP code 50579 is $63,893, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 50579 in?

ZIP code 50579 observes the CST timezone.