50238 ZIP Code — Russell, IA

Lucas County, Iowa

ZIP code 50238 is located in Russell, Iowa, within Lucas County. It covers approximately 100.70 square miles and serves a population of 1,168 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 641.

About ZIP code 50238

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 $81,500. Owner-occupancy is high at 92%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $61,534. 56% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is production, transportation, and material moving, with retail trade as the leading industry. The average commute of 28 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 50238 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,168
population
100.70
sq mi land
Standard
ZIP type
Central (CT)
timezone
50238 ZIP code map
Cities in ZIP code 50238

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 50238. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City Status
Russell Acceptable
Russell Preferred
Nearby ZIP codes
50049 Chariton (7.9 mi) 52583 Promise City (9.5 mi) 52569 Melrose (11 mi) 52581 Plano (11.2 mi) 52574 Mystic (15 mi) 50068 Derby (15.2 mi) 50060 Corydon (16 mi) 50150 Lovilia (16.9 mi) 52571 Moravia (17.8 mi) 52590 Seymour (18.7 mi) 50151 Lucas (19.7 mi)
Demographics updated 05/2026
Population
Total population 1,168
Population density 12 / sq mi
State FIPS 19
County FIPS 117
Geography
Land area 100.70 sq mi
Water area 2.84 sq mi
Latitude 40.9317
Longitude -93.1935
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 47.1% 43.8% 40.1%
$50k – $100k 31.8% 36.4% 33.4%
$100k – $200k 21.1% 17.2% 21.5%
Over $200k 0.0% 2.7% 5.0%

Demographics & statistics

1,168
Population
12
People per sq mi
48.1
Median age
$61,534
Median household income
$28,722
Per capita income
$81,500
Median home value
$697
Median monthly rent
91.9%
Home ownership
10.4%
Poverty rate
2.2%
Unemployment
528
Housing units
14.4%
Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female
45
Under 5
34
59
5–9
44
43
10–14
32
29
15–19
21
15
20–24
11
50
25–34
37
80
35–44
59
90
45–54
67
35
55–59
26
64
60–64
48
125
65–74
93
26
75–84
19
9
85+
7
← Male
Female →

Age summary

GroupCount%
Under 1828424.3%
18 and over88475.7%
65 and over27923.9%
Median age48.1 years

Race & ethnicity

White 97.5%
Two or more races 2.1%
Asian 0.3%
Hispanic or Latino 0.1%
GroupCount%
White1,14097.5%
Two or more races252.1%
Asian30.3%
Hispanic or Latino10.1%

Household income

Income range This ZIP County avg State avg
Under $50k 47.1% 43.8% 40.1%
$50k – $100k 31.8% 36.4% 33.4%
$100k – $200k 21.1% 17.2% 21.5%
Over $200k 0.0% 2.7% 5.0%
Under $10k 3.8%
$10k–$15k 11.5%
$15k–$25k 4.4%
$25k–$35k 7.7%
$35k–$50k 14.6%
$50k–$75k 18.6%
$75k–$100k 19.2%
$100k–$150k 12.7%
$150k–$200k 6.7%
$200k+ 0.8%
Range% of households
Under $10k3.8%
$10k–$15k11.5%
$15k–$25k4.4%
$25k–$35k7.7%
$35k–$50k14.6%
$50k–$75k18.6%
$75k–$100k19.2%
$100k–$150k12.7%
$150k–$200k6.7%
$200k+0.8%
Median income$61,534

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 38.4%
$50k–$100k 24.3%
$100k–$150k 13.2%
$150k–$200k 5.7%
$200k–$300k 11.4%
$300k–$500k 7.0%

Housing overview

MetricValue
Median home value$81,500
Median rent / month$697
Owner occupied91.9%
Renter occupied8.1%
Vacant15.5%
Single-family detached92.6%
Large apartment buildings0.0%
Mobile homes5.8%
Median rooms6.2
Avg household size (owned)2.42

Year built

Era%
2020 or later0.0%
2010–20194.8%
2000–20099.2%
1990–19995.1%
1980–19895.1%
1970–197915.0%
1960–19698.1%
1950–19591.8%
1940–19499.9%
1939 or earlier41.1%

Bedrooms

Size% of units
No bedroom (studio)1.4%
1 bedroom8.6%
2 bedrooms30.7%
3 bedrooms39.5%
4 bedrooms15.3%
5+ bedrooms4.4%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles% of households
No vehicle2.5%
1 vehicle20.5%
2 vehicles38.8%
3 or more38.2%

Heating fuel

Fuel type%
Utility gas0.2%
Electricity25.1%
Propane / LP gas69.5%
Fuel oil1.0%
Wood4.2%

Households & families

Household typeCount%
Married-couple family27757.8%
Cohabiting couple377.7%
Male householder, no spouse11023.0%
Female householder, no spouse5511.5%
Households with children under 1811524.0%
Households with seniors (65+)21043.8%
Average household size2.44

Marital status

StatusMaleFemale
Never married18.7%13.7%
Married56.4%70.6%
Separated0.0%0.0%
Widowed4.6%5.7%
Divorced20.3%10.1%

Education

Less than 9th grade 4.0%
Some HS, no diploma 7.5%
HS graduate 33.2%
Some college, no degree 34.3%
Associate's degree 6.7%
Bachelor's degree 11.3%
Graduate / professional 3.1%
Metric%
HS diploma or higher88.5%
Bachelor's or higher14.4%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

TypeCount%
Nursery / preschool5620.8%
Kindergarten10.4%
Elementary school15959.1%
High school3412.6%
College / grad school197.1%

Employment

Industry of employment

Retail trade 25.1%
Agriculture & mining 17.4%
Manufacturing 11.3%
Education & healthcare 10.3%
Wholesale trade 9.5%
Arts, food & hospitality 7.3%
Construction 5.7%
Professional & management 3.6%
Other services 3.4%
Finance & real estate 3.0%
Transportation & utilities 2.6%
Public administration 0.8%

Occupation

Category%
Management, business & arts22.8%
Service15.2%
Sales & office10.3%
Natural resources & construction21.2%
Production & transportation30.5%

Employment type

Type%
Private sector87.3%
Government9.5%
Self-employed3.2%
Unpaid family workers0.0%

Commute

Method%
Drive alone88.6%
Carpool5.5%
Public transit0.0%
Walk1.5%
Work from home2.1%
Other means2.3%
Avg commute (minutes)27.7

Poverty

All people 10.4%
Under 18 years 2.1%
18 and over 13.1%
Married-couple families 3.2%
Female-led households 23.5%

Income support

Source% of households
Social Security55.9%
Retirement income20.0%
Supplemental Security3.3%
Cash public assistance2.1%
Food stamps / SNAP5.4%

Health indicators

Condition%
Obesity37.1%
High blood pressure36.6%
High cholesterol36.0%
Diabetes11.6%
Heart disease7.8%
Stroke3.5%
Asthma9.3%
Arthritis28.7%
Kidney disease3.3%
Pulmonary disease7.9%
Cancer7.9%
Behavior / access%
Smoking18.9%
Binge drinking19.8%
No physical activity25.8%
Less than 7 hrs sleep32.0%
Depression17.5%
Fair or poor health14.4%
Poor mental health13.1%
Poor physical health10.7%
No health insurance9.3%
Visited doctor (checkup)75.2%
Visited dentist63.0%
Cholesterol screening89.7%
Teeth loss13.7%

Veterans & disability

VeteransCount%
Civilian veterans677.6%
Disability%
Any disability20.2%
Under 181.8%
18–64 years10.9%
65 and over59.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type%
Private insurance71.2%
Public insurance58.9%
No insurance2.6%
Uninsured under 190.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

LanguageCount%
English only1,08993.2%
Spanish20.2%
Other Indo-European00.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander20.2%
Other languages00.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

OriginCount%
Native born (US)1,14097.6%
Born in same state1,14097.6%
Born in different state94981.3%
Foreign born00.0%
Naturalized citizen282.4%
Not a US citizen2589.3%

Ancestry

AncestryCount%
French16614.2%
English14112.1%
Italian13011.1%
Arab322.7%
AncestryCount%
Polish262.2%
Dutch80.7%
German30.3%

Technology access

Metric% of households
Computer access41.0%
Internet access85.6%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 50238

What city is ZIP code 50238 in?

ZIP code 50238 is primarily assigned to Russell, Iowa.

What county is ZIP code 50238 in?

ZIP code 50238 falls within Lucas County, Iowa.

Does ZIP code 50238 have a large retiree population?

56% of households in ZIP code 50238 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Is ZIP code 50238 mostly owner-occupied?

92% of occupied units in ZIP code 50238 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 50238?

14% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 50238?

The median home value in ZIP code 50238 is $81,500.

What timezone is ZIP code 50238 in?

ZIP code 50238 observes the CST timezone.

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