50597 ZIP Code — West Bend, IA

Palo Alto County, Iowa

ZIP code 50597 is located in West Bend, Iowa, within Palo Alto County. It covers approximately 83.05 square miles and serves a population of 1,312 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 515.

About ZIP code 50597

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 $160,300. Owner-occupancy is high at 80%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $82,500. The poverty rate of 4% is below the national average. 33% 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 15 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 22% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 50597 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,312

population

83.05

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

50597 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 50597

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 50597. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
West Bend	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

50570 Ottosen (6.5 mi) 50598 Whittemore (8.1 mi) 50519 Bode (9.6 mi) 50581 Rolfe (10.9 mi) 50562 Mallard (11 mi) 50528 Cylinder (12.1 mi) 50511 Algona (13.8 mi) 50520 Bradgate (13.8 mi) 50582 Rutland (14.6 mi) 50558 Livermore (15.6 mi) 50536 Emmetsburg (15.8 mi) 50560 Lu Verne (16.4 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	1,312
Population density	16 / sq mi
State FIPS	19
County FIPS	147

Geography
Land area	83.05 sq mi
Water area	0.22 sq mi
Latitude	42.9725
Longitude	-94.4334
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	40.4%	43.5%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	35.7%	34.8%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	22.7%	18.6%	21.5%
Over $200k	1.2%	3.2%	5.0%

Demographics & statistics

1,312

Population

People per sq mi

34.3

Median age

$82,500

Median household income

$35,278

Per capita income

$160,300

Median home value

$583

Median monthly rent

79.7%

Home ownership

3.5%

Poverty rate

2.5%

Unemployment

425

Housing units

21.6%

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	390	29.7%
18 and over	922	70.3%
65 and over	283	21.6%
Median age	34.3 years

Race & ethnicity

White 84.4%

Hispanic or Latino 6.7%

Two or more races 5.1%

Other race 3.1%

Black or African American 0.7%

Group	Count	%
White	1,186	84.4%
Hispanic or Latino	94	6.7%
Two or more races	72	5.1%
Other race	44	3.1%
Black or African American	10	0.7%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	40.4%	43.5%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	35.7%	34.8%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	22.7%	18.6%	21.5%
Over $200k	1.2%	3.2%	5.0%

Under $10k 2.5%

$10k–$15k 3.2%

$15k–$25k 6.8%

$25k–$35k 7.4%

$35k–$50k 8.1%

$50k–$75k 13.1%

$75k–$100k 22.7%

$100k–$150k 25.9%

$150k–$200k 5.9%

$200k+ 4.5%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.5%
$10k–$15k	3.2%
$15k–$25k	6.8%
$25k–$35k	7.4%
$35k–$50k	8.1%
$50k–$75k	13.1%
$75k–$100k	22.7%
$100k–$150k	25.9%
$150k–$200k	5.9%
$200k+	4.5%
Median income	$82,500

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 7.6%

$50k–$100k 18.4%

$100k–$150k 20.1%

$150k–$200k 16.1%

$200k–$300k 17.2%

$300k–$500k 14.4%

$500k–$1M 6.2%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$160,300
Median rent / month	$583
Owner occupied	79.7%
Renter occupied	20.3%
Vacant	13.8%
Single-family detached	86.2%
Large apartment buildings	0.6%
Mobile homes	0.6%
Median rooms	6.9
Avg household size (owned)	2.97

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	2.9%
2000–2009	9.1%
1990–1999	10.1%
1980–1989	8.2%
1970–1979	11.1%
1960–1969	11.3%
1950–1959	12.4%
1940–1949	2.9%
1939 or earlier	32.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	10.3%
2 bedrooms	26.4%
3 bedrooms	28.2%
4 bedrooms	23.5%
5+ bedrooms	11.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	2.0%
1 vehicle	23.9%
2 vehicles	33.6%
3 or more	40.5%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	59.9%
Electricity	16.0%
Propane / LP gas	21.8%
Fuel oil	0.9%
Wood	0.9%
No fuel used	0.5%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	287	64.6%
Cohabiting couple	26	5.9%
Male householder, no spouse	53	11.9%
Female householder, no spouse	78	17.6%
Households with children under 18	136	30.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	169	38.1%
Average household size	2.86

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	33.8%	20.5%
Married	60.6%	55.9%
Separated	0.2%	0.0%
Widowed	2.1%	19.1%
Divorced	3.3%	4.5%

Education

Less than 9th grade 4.6%

Some HS, no diploma 3.9%

HS graduate 26.3%

Some college, no degree 28.0%

Associate's degree 15.7%

Bachelor's degree 18.3%

Graduate / professional 3.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	91.5%
Bachelor's or higher	21.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	33	9.2%
Kindergarten	29	8.1%
Elementary school	134	37.3%
High school	123	34.3%
College / grad school	40	11.1%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 22.8%

Agriculture & mining 19.9%

Retail trade 11.8%

Manufacturing 10.8%

Transportation & utilities 7.0%

Wholesale trade 6.8%

Other services 5.2%

Professional & management 4.6%

Construction 3.3%

Finance & real estate 3.3%

Public administration 3.2%

Arts, food & hospitality 0.8%

Information 0.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	31.7%
Service	16.4%
Sales & office	18.2%
Natural resources & construction	14.1%
Production & transportation	19.6%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	77.2%
Government	9.0%
Self-employed	13.8%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	76.0%
Carpool	12.1%
Public transit	0.3%
Walk	6.0%
Work from home	5.3%
Other means	0.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	15.2

Poverty

All people 3.5%

Under 18 years 1.3%

18 and over 4.4%

Married-couple families 2.1%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	33.1%
Retirement income	20.7%
Supplemental Security	2.0%
Cash public assistance	3.8%
Food stamps / SNAP	6.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	36.3%
High blood pressure	36.2%
High cholesterol	35.4%
Diabetes	10.4%
Heart disease	7.7%
Stroke	3.3%
Asthma	8.7%
Arthritis	28.2%
Kidney disease	3.2%
Pulmonary disease	6.7%
Cancer	9.1%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	14.0%
Binge drinking	20.2%
No physical activity	23.5%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	27.8%
Depression	15.3%
Fair or poor health	11.6%
Poor mental health	11.6%
Poor physical health	9.1%
No health insurance	7.9%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.8%
Visited dentist	72.4%
Cholesterol screening	91.0%
Teeth loss	10.4%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	52	5.6%

Disability	%
Any disability	9.2%
Under 18	1.5%
18–64 years	6.3%
65 and over	29.2%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	69.8%
Public insurance	34.9%
No insurance	9.4%
Uninsured under 19	9.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,212	92.4%
Spanish	76	6.3%
Other Indo-European	62	5.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,264	96.3%
Born in same state	1,259	96.0%
Born in different state	1,026	78.2%
Foreign born	5	0.4%
Naturalized citizen	48	3.7%
Not a US citizen	3	6.3%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	200	15.2%
French	81	6.2%
English	71	5.4%
Polish	65	5%

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	40	3%
Dutch	25	1.9%
German	5	0.4%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	33.8%
Internet access	92.3%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 50597

What city is ZIP code 50597 in?

ZIP code 50597 is primarily assigned to West Bend, Iowa.

What county is ZIP code 50597 in?

ZIP code 50597 falls within Kossuth County, Iowa.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 50597?

The median home value in ZIP code 50597 is $160,300.

What is the population of ZIP code 50597?

ZIP code 50597 has an estimated population of 1,312 residents, with a density of 16 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 50597?

The median household income in ZIP code 50597 is $82,500, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 50597 in?

ZIP code 50597 observes the CST timezone.