50479 ZIP Code — Thornton, IA

Cerro Gordo County, Iowa

ZIP code 50479 is located in Thornton, Iowa, within Cerro Gordo County. It covers approximately 58.21 square miles and serves a population of 736 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 641.

About ZIP code 50479

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 $109,600. Owner-occupancy is high at 78%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $63,750. The poverty rate of 7% is below the national average. 31% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is production, transportation, and material moving, with manufacturing as the leading industry. The average commute of 24 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 24% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 50479 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

736

population

58.21

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

50479 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 50479

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 50479. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Thornton	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

50457 Meservey (4.9 mi) 50477 Swaledale (5.5 mi) 50449 Klemme (7.6 mi) 50428 Clear Lake (11.2 mi) 50420 Alexander (11.3 mi) 50482 Ventura (11.8 mi) 50469 Rockwell (12.2 mi) 50475 Sheffield (12.8 mi) 50438 Garner (14.2 mi) 50421 Belmond (14.2 mi) 50452 Latimer (14.8 mi) 50470 Rowan (16.8 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	736
Population density	13 / sq mi
State FIPS	19
County FIPS	033

Geography
Land area	58.21 sq mi
Water area	0.00 sq mi
Latitude	42.9729
Longitude	-93.4187
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	44.0%	44.2%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	39.8%	34.5%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	9.5%	16.1%	21.5%
Over $200k	6.7%	5.2%	5.0%

Demographics & statistics

736

Population

People per sq mi

29.5

Median age

$63,750

Median household income

$32,044

Per capita income

$109,600

Median home value

$655

Median monthly rent

78.3%

Home ownership

6.9%

Poverty rate

1.4%

Unemployment

249

Housing units

24.3%

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	224	30.4%
18 and over	512	69.6%
65 and over	127	17.3%
Median age	29.5 years

Race & ethnicity

White 92.2%

Two or more races 3.6%

Hispanic or Latino 3.2%

Other race 0.8%

Asian 0.3%

Group	Count	%
White	701	92.2%
Two or more races	27	3.6%
Hispanic or Latino	24	3.2%
Other race	6	0.8%
Asian	2	0.3%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	44.0%	44.2%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	39.8%	34.5%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	9.5%	16.1%	21.5%
Over $200k	6.7%	5.2%	5.0%

Under $10k 0.3%

$10k–$15k 1.3%

$15k–$25k 10.3%

$25k–$35k 8.0%

$35k–$50k 8.3%

$50k–$75k 28.3%

$75k–$100k 19.3%

$100k–$150k 12.7%

$150k–$200k 3.7%

$200k+ 7.7%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	0.3%
$10k–$15k	1.3%
$15k–$25k	10.3%
$25k–$35k	8.0%
$35k–$50k	8.3%
$50k–$75k	28.3%
$75k–$100k	19.3%
$100k–$150k	12.7%
$150k–$200k	3.7%
$200k+	7.7%
Median income	$63,750

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 11.9%

$50k–$100k 31.1%

$100k–$150k 21.3%

$150k–$200k 18.3%

$200k–$300k 6.4%

$300k–$500k 8.1%

$500k–$1M 2.1%

$1M+ 0.9%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$109,600
Median rent / month	$655
Owner occupied	78.3%
Renter occupied	21.7%
Vacant	4.5%
Single-family detached	90.4%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	1.6%
Median rooms	6.1
Avg household size (owned)	2.57

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.6%
2010–2019	0.0%
2000–2009	3.8%
1990–1999	8.0%
1980–1989	1.9%
1970–1979	9.2%
1960–1969	13.1%
1950–1959	12.1%
1940–1949	4.5%
1939 or earlier	46.8%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	5.7%
2 bedrooms	31.2%
3 bedrooms	38.9%
4 bedrooms	23.6%
5+ bedrooms	0.6%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	1.0%
1 vehicle	22.7%
2 vehicles	51.0%
3 or more	25.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	60.3%
Electricity	11.7%
Propane / LP gas	28.0%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	182	60.7%
Cohabiting couple	23	7.7%
Male householder, no spouse	61	20.3%
Female householder, no spouse	34	11.3%
Households with children under 18	85	28.3%
Households with seniors (65+)	82	27.3%
Average household size	2.45

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	23.6%	16.9%
Married	65.0%	73.7%
Separated	0.0%	0.4%
Widowed	5.3%	4.3%
Divorced	6.1%	4.7%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.0%

Some HS, no diploma 2.1%

HS graduate 33.1%

Some college, no degree 26.4%

Associate's degree 14.1%

Bachelor's degree 22.7%

Graduate / professional 1.6%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	97.9%
Bachelor's or higher	24.3%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	42	25.1%
Kindergarten	17	10.2%
Elementary school	71	42.5%
High school	12	7.2%
College / grad school	25	15.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Manufacturing 21.2%

Education & healthcare 13.1%

Retail trade 12.5%

Agriculture & mining 11.9%

Transportation & utilities 8.1%

Construction 7.0%

Arts, food & hospitality 6.7%

Finance & real estate 6.4%

Wholesale trade 4.7%

Professional & management 3.8%

Other services 3.2%

Information 0.9%

Public administration 0.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	23.5%
Service	8.7%
Sales & office	23.8%
Natural resources & construction	12.2%
Production & transportation	31.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	85.8%
Government	6.1%
Self-employed	8.1%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	80.1%
Carpool	12.9%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	3.5%
Work from home	2.9%
Other means	0.6%
Avg commute (minutes)	23.8

Poverty

All people 6.9%

Under 18 years 5.8%

18 and over 7.4%

Married-couple families 2.2%

Female-led households 33.3%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	30.7%
Retirement income	27.7%
Supplemental Security	2.7%
Cash public assistance	1.7%
Food stamps / SNAP	3.7%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	34.9%
High blood pressure	34.8%
High cholesterol	33.7%
Diabetes	10.6%
Heart disease	7.4%
Stroke	3.2%
Asthma	9.0%
Arthritis	26.5%
Kidney disease	3.0%
Pulmonary disease	6.8%
Cancer	8.0%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	16.4%
Binge drinking	20.9%
No physical activity	23.8%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	30.9%
Depression	17.3%
Fair or poor health	12.1%
Poor mental health	12.6%
Poor physical health	9.4%
No health insurance	8.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.4%
Visited dentist	70.3%
Cholesterol screening	89.8%
Teeth loss	12.1%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	43	8.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	9.2%
Under 18	2.7%
18–64 years	8.3%
65 and over	23.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	84.1%
Public insurance	34.6%
No insurance	1.1%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	633	86.0%
Spanish	0	0.0%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	731	99.3%
Born in same state	730	99.2%
Born in different state	596	81.0%
Foreign born	1	0.1%
Naturalized citizen	5	0.7%
Not a US citizen	3	60.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	43	5.8%
Polish	35	4.8%
French	30	4.1%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	9	1.2%
Dutch	8	1.1%
Arab	7	1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	40.8%
Internet access	95.3%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 50479

What city is ZIP code 50479 in?

ZIP code 50479 is primarily assigned to Thornton, Iowa.

What county is ZIP code 50479 in?

ZIP code 50479 falls within Cerro Gordo County, Iowa.

Is ZIP code 50479 family-oriented?

30% of residents in ZIP code 50479 are under 18, reflecting a younger, family-oriented community.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 50479?

The median home value in ZIP code 50479 is $109,600.

What is the population of ZIP code 50479?

ZIP code 50479 has an estimated population of 736 residents, with a density of 13 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 50479?

The median household income in ZIP code 50479 is $63,750, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 50479 in?

ZIP code 50479 observes the CST timezone.