50268 ZIP Code — What Cheer, IA

Keokuk County, Iowa

ZIP code 50268 is located in What Cheer, Iowa, within Keokuk County. It covers approximately 46.56 square miles and serves a population of 1,101 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 641.

About ZIP code 50268

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 $72,900. Owner-occupancy is high at 77%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $50,313. Poverty affects 19% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 27% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 38% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with agriculture and mining as the leading industry. The average commute of 25 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 8% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Notable community characteristics include disability rates above the national average at 25%.

Overall, ZIP code 50268 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, high homeownership, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

1,101

population

46.56

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

50268 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 50268

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 50268. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
What Cheer	Acceptable
What Cheer	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

50136 Keswick (5.6 mi) 50104 Gibson (5.6 mi) 52586 Rose Hill (7.1 mi) 50027 Barnes City (8.2 mi) 52591 Sigourney (10.6 mi) 52561 Fremont (12.6 mi) 52222 Deep River (13.7 mi) 50207 New Sharon (14.2 mi) 52335 South English (15.2 mi) 52543 Cedar (15.6 mi) 52563 Hedrick (16.1 mi) 50171 Montezuma (16.5 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	1,101
Population density	24 / sq mi
State FIPS	19
County FIPS	107

Geography
Land area	46.56 sq mi
Water area	0.05 sq mi
Latitude	41.4015
Longitude	-92.3521
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	62.6%	45.3%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	28.6%	33.2%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	8.3%	18.6%	21.5%
Over $200k	0.5%	2.9%	5.0%

Demographics & statistics

1,101

Population

People per sq mi

37.8

Median age

$50,313

Median household income

$23,570

Per capita income

$72,900

Median home value

$791

Median monthly rent

77.2%

Home ownership

19.0%

Poverty rate

9.0%

Unemployment

382

Housing units

8.1%

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	347	31.5%
18 and over	754	68.5%
65 and over	179	16.3%
Median age	37.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 94.4%

Two or more races 2%

Black or African American 1.4%

Hispanic or Latino 1.3%

Other race 0.9%

Group	Count	%
White	1,053	94.4%
Two or more races	22	2%
Black or African American	16	1.4%
Hispanic or Latino	14	1.3%
Other race	10	0.9%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	62.6%	45.3%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	28.6%	33.2%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	8.3%	18.6%	21.5%
Over $200k	0.5%	2.9%	5.0%

Under $10k 4.1%

$10k–$15k 9.9%

$15k–$25k 12.2%

$25k–$35k 10.6%

$35k–$50k 13.2%

$50k–$75k 21.5%

$75k–$100k 12.2%

$100k–$150k 14.4%

$150k–$200k 1.3%

$200k+ 0.8%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.1%
$10k–$15k	9.9%
$15k–$25k	12.2%
$25k–$35k	10.6%
$35k–$50k	13.2%
$50k–$75k	21.5%
$75k–$100k	12.2%
$100k–$150k	14.4%
$150k–$200k	1.3%
$200k+	0.8%
Median income	$50,313

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 34.4%

$50k–$100k 34.8%

$100k–$150k 13.8%

$150k–$200k 3.0%

$200k–$300k 4.3%

$300k–$500k 6.9%

$500k–$1M 3.0%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$72,900
Median rent / month	$791
Owner occupied	77.2%
Renter occupied	22.8%
Vacant	16.3%
Single-family detached	87.7%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	6.6%
Median rooms	6.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.69

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	1.7%
2000–2009	9.3%
1990–1999	2.1%
1980–1989	5.5%
1970–1979	13.1%
1960–1969	2.8%
1950–1959	4.0%
1940–1949	5.5%
1939 or earlier	55.9%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.5%
1 bedroom	7.4%
2 bedrooms	29.2%
3 bedrooms	33.7%
4 bedrooms	16.9%
5+ bedrooms	11.2%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.1%
1 vehicle	25.8%
2 vehicles	40.3%
3 or more	29.9%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	45.1%
Electricity	19.2%
Propane / LP gas	30.1%
Fuel oil	2.3%
Wood	2.0%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	191	48.4%
Cohabiting couple	56	14.2%
Male householder, no spouse	77	19.5%
Female householder, no spouse	71	18.0%
Households with children under 18	132	33.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	133	33.7%
Average household size	2.79

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	25.1%	30.2%
Married	50.2%	52.1%
Separated	1.6%	0.8%
Widowed	3.6%	8.8%
Divorced	19.5%	8.0%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.8%

Some HS, no diploma 4.2%

HS graduate 59.5%

Some college, no degree 15.7%

Associate's degree 9.8%

Bachelor's degree 7.8%

Graduate / professional 0.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	93.0%
Bachelor's or higher	8.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	11	3.3%
Kindergarten	41	12.2%
Elementary school	170	50.7%
High school	86	25.7%
College / grad school	27	8.1%

Employment

Industry of employment

Agriculture & mining 19.9%

Manufacturing 18.7%

Retail trade 14.2%

Other services 9.0%

Construction 8.5%

Education & healthcare 6.6%

Professional & management 6.1%

Wholesale trade 5.9%

Transportation & utilities 3.8%

Public administration 3.5%

Arts, food & hospitality 1.7%

Finance & real estate 1.4%

Information 0.7%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	27.4%
Service	9.2%
Sales & office	24.6%
Natural resources & construction	11.6%
Production & transportation	27.2%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	74.2%
Government	9.7%
Self-employed	14.7%
Unpaid family workers	1.4%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	69.7%
Carpool	16.7%
Public transit	2.1%
Walk	2.1%
Work from home	8.1%
Other means	1.2%
Avg commute (minutes)	25.2

Poverty

All people 19.0%

Under 18 years 22.8%

18 and over 17.2%

Married-couple families 15.2%

Female-led households 16.7%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	37.7%
Retirement income	18.5%
Supplemental Security	5.3%
Cash public assistance	0.5%
Food stamps / SNAP	26.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	39.3%
High blood pressure	39.4%
High cholesterol	36.2%
Diabetes	12.1%
Heart disease	8.6%
Stroke	4.0%
Asthma	9.8%
Arthritis	29.8%
Kidney disease	3.6%
Pulmonary disease	9.0%
Cancer	8.1%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	19.8%
Binge drinking	20.0%
No physical activity	29.8%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.1%
Depression	18.3%
Fair or poor health	16.2%
Poor mental health	13.8%
Poor physical health	11.8%
No health insurance	10.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.7%
Visited dentist	62.3%
Cholesterol screening	88.4%
Teeth loss	16.6%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	33	4.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	24.6%
Under 18	14.1%
18–64 years	26.3%
65 and over	39.7%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	52.2%
Public insurance	59.1%
No insurance	5.8%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,048	95.2%
Spanish	25	2.4%
Other Indo-European	23	2.2%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	2	0.2%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,078	97.9%
Born in same state	1,078	97.9%
Born in different state	984	89.4%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	23	2.1%
Not a US citizen	5	21.7%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	199	18.1%
French	94	8.5%
English	63	5.7%
Arab	50	4.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	26	2.4%
Dutch	7	0.6%
German	2	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	35.9%
Internet access	83.3%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 50268

What city is ZIP code 50268 in?

ZIP code 50268 is primarily assigned to What Cheer, Iowa.

What county is ZIP code 50268 in?

ZIP code 50268 falls within Keokuk County, Iowa.

Is ZIP code 50268 family-oriented?

32% of residents in ZIP code 50268 are under 18, reflecting a younger, family-oriented community.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 50268?

8% 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 poverty rate in ZIP code 50268?

19% of residents in ZIP code 50268 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 50268 have a large retiree population?

38% of households in ZIP code 50268 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What timezone is ZIP code 50268 in?

ZIP code 50268 observes the CST timezone.