50478 ZIP Code — Thompson, IA

Winnebago County, Iowa

ZIP code 50478 is located in Thompson, Iowa, within Winnebago County. It covers approximately 76.47 square miles and serves a population of 788 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 641.

About ZIP code 50478

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 $96,000. Owner-occupancy is high at 81%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $49,079. The poverty rate of 6% is below the national average. 51% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with retail trade as the leading industry. The average commute of 20 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 31% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 16% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 50478 reflects a community defined by a strong veteran community, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

788

population

76.47

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

50478 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 50478

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 50478. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Thompson	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

50473 Scarville (6.4 mi) 50453 Leland (6.6 mi) 50424 Buffalo Center (8 mi) 56051 Kiester (9.9 mi) 50436 Forest City (10.7 mi) 50450 Lake Mills (12.9 mi) 56014 Bricelyn (13.3 mi) 56033 Frost (13.9 mi) 50484 Woden (14 mi) 50451 Lakota (15.8 mi) 50446 Joice (16.7 mi) 56029 Emmons (17 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	788
Population density	10 / sq mi
State FIPS	19
County FIPS	189

Geography
Land area	76.47 sq mi
Water area	0.03 sq mi
Latitude	43.4063
Longitude	-93.7644
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	56.1%	45.7%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	29.4%	33.4%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	14.5%	18.5%	21.5%
Over $200k	0.0%	2.4%	5.0%

Demographics & statistics

788

Population

People per sq mi

55.7

Median age

$49,079

Median household income

$37,121

Per capita income

$96,000

Median home value

$684

Median monthly rent

81.0%

Home ownership

6.0%

Poverty rate

2.4%

Unemployment

418

Housing units

31.0%

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	138	17.5%
18 and over	650	82.5%
65 and over	261	33.1%
Median age	55.7 years

Race & ethnicity

White 82.7%

Hispanic or Latino 8.3%

Two or more races 8.1%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%

Other race 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	710	82.7%
Hispanic or Latino	71	8.3%
Two or more races	70	8.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	6	0.7%
Other race	2	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	56.1%	45.7%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	29.4%	33.4%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	14.5%	18.5%	21.5%
Over $200k	0.0%	2.4%	5.0%

Under $10k 5.0%

$10k–$15k 1.7%

$15k–$25k 8.1%

$25k–$35k 19.2%

$35k–$50k 17.8%

$50k–$75k 10.4%

$75k–$100k 17.3%

$100k–$150k 13.0%

$150k–$200k 4.3%

$200k+ 3.3%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	5.0%
$10k–$15k	1.7%
$15k–$25k	8.1%
$25k–$35k	19.2%
$35k–$50k	17.8%
$50k–$75k	10.4%
$75k–$100k	17.3%
$100k–$150k	13.0%
$150k–$200k	4.3%
$200k+	3.3%
Median income	$49,079

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 18.7%

$50k–$100k 37.1%

$100k–$150k 16.4%

$150k–$200k 16.1%

$200k–$300k 6.1%

$300k–$500k 2.6%

$500k–$1M 2.9%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$96,000
Median rent / month	$684
Owner occupied	81.0%
Renter occupied	19.0%
Vacant	15.3%
Single-family detached	96.6%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	0.8%
Median rooms	5.7
Avg household size (owned)	1.83

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	0.4%
2000–2009	0.6%
1990–1999	4.6%
1980–1989	5.4%
1970–1979	12.2%
1960–1969	9.8%
1950–1959	20.9%
1940–1949	5.8%
1939 or earlier	40.2%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	8.0%
2 bedrooms	28.1%
3 bedrooms	43.8%
4 bedrooms	16.3%
5+ bedrooms	3.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	2.6%
1 vehicle	32.5%
2 vehicles	28.4%
3 or more	36.5%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	25.1%
Electricity	13.0%
Propane / LP gas	52.6%
Fuel oil	4.3%
Wood	1.2%
No fuel used	1.7%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	162	38.4%
Cohabiting couple	4	0.9%
Male householder, no spouse	191	45.3%
Female householder, no spouse	65	15.4%
Households with children under 18	69	16.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	207	49.1%
Average household size	1.87

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	27.4%	16.1%
Married	43.6%	59.9%
Separated	0.0%	0.0%
Widowed	8.8%	11.7%
Divorced	20.2%	12.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.5%

Some HS, no diploma 4.9%

HS graduate 28.4%

Some college, no degree 19.0%

Associate's degree 15.4%

Bachelor's degree 26.9%

Graduate / professional 4.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	93.7%
Bachelor's or higher	31.0%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	1	0.7%
Kindergarten	1	0.7%
Elementary school	80	54.4%
High school	32	21.8%
College / grad school	33	22.4%

Employment

Industry of employment

Retail trade 20.0%

Manufacturing 19.2%

Agriculture & mining 9.9%

Construction 9.4%

Education & healthcare 8.1%

Other services 7.6%

Transportation & utilities 5.7%

Wholesale trade 5.4%

Finance & real estate 3.9%

Professional & management 3.7%

Public administration 3.4%

Arts, food & hospitality 2.7%

Information 1.0%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	27.3%
Service	4.7%
Sales & office	20.4%
Natural resources & construction	24.6%
Production & transportation	22.9%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	82.0%
Government	10.6%
Self-employed	6.7%
Unpaid family workers	0.7%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	80.6%
Carpool	1.5%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	2.7%
Work from home	11.2%
Other means	4.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	20.2

Poverty

All people 6.0%

Under 18 years 4.5%

18 and over 6.3%

Married-couple families 3.7%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	50.9%
Retirement income	29.9%
Supplemental Security	0.7%
Cash public assistance	1.7%
Food stamps / SNAP	5.9%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	38.6%
High blood pressure	37.4%
High cholesterol	37.2%
Diabetes	11.1%
Heart disease	7.9%
Stroke	3.5%
Asthma	9.2%
Arthritis	27.6%
Kidney disease	3.3%
Pulmonary disease	7.7%
Cancer	8.1%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	17.8%
Binge drinking	20.1%
No physical activity	24.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	31.3%
Depression	17.0%
Fair or poor health	13.8%
Poor mental health	12.8%
Poor physical health	10.4%
No health insurance	9.3%
Visited doctor (checkup)	75.4%
Visited dentist	67.3%
Cholesterol screening	90.1%
Teeth loss	13.9%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	106	16.3%

Disability	%
Any disability	14.5%
Under 18	0.0%
18–64 years	13.4%
65 and over	23.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	71.6%
Public insurance	52.5%
No insurance	2.8%
Uninsured under 19	5.8%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	768	97.5%
Spanish	11	1.4%
Other Indo-European	11	1.4%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	777	98.6%
Born in same state	758	96.2%
Born in different state	434	55.1%
Foreign born	19	2.4%
Naturalized citizen	11	1.4%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	218	27.7%
Dutch	63	8%
French	62	7.9%

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	49	6.2%
English	13	1.6%
Arab	10	1.3%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	53.6%
Internet access	92.4%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 50478

What city is ZIP code 50478 in?

ZIP code 50478 is primarily assigned to Thompson, Iowa.

What county is ZIP code 50478 in?

ZIP code 50478 falls within Winnebago County, Iowa.

Does ZIP code 50478 have an older population?

33% of residents in ZIP code 50478 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 50478 have a large retiree population?

51% of households in ZIP code 50478 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 50478 have a large veteran population?

16% of civilians in ZIP code 50478 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

Is ZIP code 50478 mostly owner-occupied?

81% of occupied units in ZIP code 50478 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What timezone is ZIP code 50478 in?

ZIP code 50478 observes the CST timezone.