50249 ZIP Code — Stratford, IA

Hamilton County, Iowa

ZIP code 50249 is located in Stratford, Iowa, within Hamilton County. It covers approximately 79.35 square miles and serves a population of 1,404 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 515.

About ZIP code 50249

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 $110,600. Owner-occupancy is high at 85%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $49,444. 52% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with manufacturing as the leading industry. The average commute of 29 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 50249 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,404
population
79.35
sq mi land
Standard
ZIP type
Central (CT)
timezone
50249 ZIP code map
Cities in ZIP code 50249

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 50249. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City Status
Stratford Preferred
Nearby ZIP codes
50246 Stanhope (7.1 mi) 50530 Dayton (7.3 mi) 50557 Lehigh (8.4 mi) 50223 Pilot Mound (10.8 mi) 50595 Webster City (11.3 mi) 50130 Jewell (11.6 mi) 50532 Duncombe (13.3 mi) 50544 Harcourt (13.5 mi) 50132 Kamrar (13.7 mi) 50036 Boone (14.2 mi) 50248 Story City (15.8 mi) 50075 Ellsworth (18.3 mi)
Demographics updated 05/2026
Population
Total population 1,404
Population density 18 / sq mi
State FIPS 19
County FIPS 079
Geography
Land area 79.35 sq mi
Water area 0.29 sq mi
Latitude 42.2896
Longitude -93.9060
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 47.1% 41.0% 40.1%
$50k – $100k 35.0% 38.7% 33.4%
$100k – $200k 14.8% 17.3% 21.5%
Over $200k 3.1% 2.9% 5.0%

Demographics & statistics

1,404
Population
18
People per sq mi
51.4
Median age
$49,444
Median household income
$30,672
Per capita income
$110,600
Median home value
$696
Median monthly rent
84.7%
Home ownership
9.8%
Poverty rate
2.2%
Unemployment
569
Housing units
13.8%
Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female
17
Under 5
19
35
5–9
39
49
10–14
53
44
15–19
48
34
20–24
37
51
25–34
56
70
35–44
77
59
45–54
64
34
55–59
36
82
60–64
89
108
65–74
117
65
75–84
70
24
85+
27
← Male
Female →

Age summary

GroupCount%
Under 1827219.4%
18 and over1,13280.6%
65 and over41129.3%
Median age51.4 years

Race & ethnicity

White 92.7%
Black or African American 3.1%
Hispanic or Latino 1.7%
Other race 1.7%
Two or more races 0.8%
GroupCount%
White1,32492.7%
Black or African American443.1%
Hispanic or Latino251.7%
Other race251.7%
Two or more races110.8%

Household income

Income range This ZIP County avg State avg
Under $50k 47.1% 41.0% 40.1%
$50k – $100k 35.0% 38.7% 33.4%
$100k – $200k 14.8% 17.3% 21.5%
Over $200k 3.1% 2.9% 5.0%
Under $10k 4.1%
$10k–$15k 4.8%
$15k–$25k 10.5%
$25k–$35k 9.6%
$35k–$50k 21.3%
$50k–$75k 17.0%
$75k–$100k 8.9%
$100k–$150k 17.5%
$150k–$200k 3.3%
$200k+ 2.9%
Range% of households
Under $10k4.1%
$10k–$15k4.8%
$15k–$25k10.5%
$25k–$35k9.6%
$35k–$50k21.3%
$50k–$75k17.0%
$75k–$100k8.9%
$100k–$150k17.5%
$150k–$200k3.3%
$200k+2.9%
Median income$49,444

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 17.8%
$50k–$100k 25.2%
$100k–$150k 24.9%
$150k–$200k 11.2%
$200k–$300k 13.8%
$300k–$500k 6.1%
$500k–$1M 1.0%

Housing overview

MetricValue
Median home value$110,600
Median rent / month$696
Owner occupied84.7%
Renter occupied15.3%
Vacant11.6%
Single-family detached85.7%
Large apartment buildings2.7%
Mobile homes6.5%
Median rooms6.2
Avg household size (owned)2.31

Year built

Era%
2020 or later0.8%
2010–20192.1%
2000–200911.2%
1990–19996.2%
1980–19892.0%
1970–197913.2%
1960–19697.1%
1950–19597.1%
1940–19491.5%
1939 or earlier48.6%

Bedrooms

Size% of units
No bedroom (studio)0.0%
1 bedroom9.0%
2 bedrooms26.6%
3 bedrooms48.8%
4 bedrooms14.6%
5+ bedrooms1.1%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles% of households
No vehicle2.2%
1 vehicle27.8%
2 vehicles33.7%
3 or more36.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type%
Utility gas50.5%
Electricity7.2%
Propane / LP gas37.8%
Wood0.9%
Solar0.3%
No fuel used1.2%

Households & families

Household typeCount%
Married-couple family26044.7%
Cohabiting couple315.3%
Male householder, no spouse14124.2%
Female householder, no spouse15025.8%
Households with children under 1812321.1%
Households with seniors (65+)28148.3%
Average household size2.33

Marital status

StatusMaleFemale
Never married27.3%22.8%
Married49.8%46.2%
Separated3.6%0.0%
Widowed1.4%18.6%
Divorced18.0%12.5%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.2%
Some HS, no diploma 3.4%
HS graduate 45.0%
Some college, no degree 23.5%
Associate's degree 13.1%
Bachelor's degree 10.7%
Graduate / professional 3.1%
Metric%
HS diploma or higher95.4%
Bachelor's or higher13.8%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

TypeCount%
Nursery / preschool93.3%
Kindergarten00.0%
Elementary school16360.1%
High school7025.8%
College / grad school2910.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Manufacturing 21.2%
Education & healthcare 21.0%
Agriculture & mining 10.2%
Retail trade 10.2%
Construction 7.1%
Transportation & utilities 5.4%
Wholesale trade 5.3%
Information 5.3%
Public administration 4.6%
Professional & management 3.6%
Arts, food & hospitality 3.0%
Other services 2.5%
Finance & real estate 0.8%

Occupation

Category%
Management, business & arts36.9%
Service11.5%
Sales & office18.6%
Natural resources & construction15.6%
Production & transportation17.4%

Employment type

Type%
Private sector74.7%
Government15.8%
Self-employed9.2%
Unpaid family workers0.3%

Commute

Method%
Drive alone81.0%
Carpool2.5%
Public transit0.0%
Walk5.7%
Work from home10.8%
Other means0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)29.3

Poverty

All people 9.8%
Under 18 years 13.2%
18 and over 9.0%
Married-couple families 1.9%
Female-led households 20.7%

Income support

Source% of households
Social Security52.4%
Retirement income35.2%
Supplemental Security1.7%
Cash public assistance1.7%
Food stamps / SNAP8.1%

Health indicators

Condition%
Obesity37.6%
High blood pressure36.1%
High cholesterol34.2%
Diabetes10.9%
Heart disease7.9%
Stroke3.5%
Asthma9.3%
Arthritis27.8%
Kidney disease3.3%
Pulmonary disease7.5%
Cancer8.3%
Behavior / access%
Smoking16.9%
Binge drinking20.2%
No physical activity25.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep29.2%
Depression17.1%
Fair or poor health13.5%
Poor mental health12.8%
Poor physical health10.2%
No health insurance9.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)77.3%
Visited dentist65.4%
Cholesterol screening89.9%
Teeth loss13.3%

Veterans & disability

VeteransCount%
Civilian veterans786.9%
Disability%
Any disability14.0%
Under 1816.2%
18–64 years9.0%
65 and over22.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type%
Private insurance70.8%
Public insurance44.9%
No insurance3.2%
Uninsured under 191.5%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

LanguageCount%
English only1,36897.4%
Spanish30.2%
Other Indo-European30.2%
Asian & Pacific Islander00.0%
Other languages00.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

OriginCount%
Native born (US)1,40099.7%
Born in same state1,39699.4%
Born in different state1,19184.8%
Foreign born40.3%
Naturalized citizen40.3%
Not a US citizen125.0%

Ancestry

AncestryCount%
French14510.3%
Arab916.5%
Italian876.2%
AncestryCount%
Polish533.8%
Dutch473.3%
English120.9%

Technology access

Metric% of households
Computer access41.5%
Internet access84.9%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 50249

What city is ZIP code 50249 in?

ZIP code 50249 is primarily assigned to Stratford, Iowa.

What county is ZIP code 50249 in?

ZIP code 50249 falls within Hamilton County, Iowa.

Does ZIP code 50249 have an older population?

29% of residents in ZIP code 50249 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 50249 have a large retiree population?

52% of households in ZIP code 50249 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Is ZIP code 50249 mostly owner-occupied?

85% of occupied units in ZIP code 50249 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 50249?

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

What timezone is ZIP code 50249 in?

ZIP code 50249 observes the CST timezone.

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