Population 14,593 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of ZIP 50311: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in ZIP 50311
Household size in ZIP 50311
| Period | ZIP 50311 | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.34 | 2.51 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.55 | 2.56 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.36 | 2.55 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.06 | 2.52 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.28 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
ZIP 50311 is a place of small households, averaging 2.06 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has dropped from 2.34 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Of the 145 Iowa ZIP codes with 5,000+ people, only three have smaller households.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in ZIP 50311
| Period | ZIP 50311 | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.2 | 36.2 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 30.6 | 36.7 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 31.4 | 37.2 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 32.5 | 37.6 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.3 | +1.4 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 32.5, ZIP 50311 is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples. The median age has climbed from 30.2 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. Only nine of the 145 Iowa ZIP codes with 5,000+ people are younger.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in ZIP 50311
| Period | ZIP 50311 | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.5% | 10.2% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.5% | 11.1% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.7% | 10.9% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.5% | 11.2% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.0 pts | +0.9 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in ZIP 50311 (9.5%), below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is down 2.0 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in ZIP 50311
Renters in ZIP 50311
| Period | ZIP 50311 | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.8% | 27.3% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 44.3% | 29.3% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 45.8% | 30.3% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 49.0% | 30.5% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | +8.2 pts | +3.2 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is far more common in ZIP 50311 than nationally: 49.0% of households rent their homes, against 34.8%. Among homeowners, 26.8% have no mortgage at all, well below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is up 8.2 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only eight of the 145 Iowa ZIP codes with 5,000+ people have a higher share of renters.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in ZIP 50311
| Period | ZIP 50311 | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.8% | 7.7% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.7% | 7.2% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.0% | 7.2% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.3% | 7.0% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.5 pts | −0.7 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in ZIP 50311 is close to the national rate: 8.3% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 4.5 points, as it has nationally.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in ZIP 50311
| Period | ZIP 50311 | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1944 | 1976 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1945 | 1977 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1946 | 1979 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1944 | 1983 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +0 | +7 | +6 | +6 |
The housing in ZIP 50311 is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1944, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The newest homes are mostly in the center, the oldest in the south. Only one other Iowa ZIP code with 5,000+ people has older homes.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in ZIP 50311
| Period | ZIP 50311 | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $670 | $808 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $803 | $899 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $858 | $986 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,243 | $1,210 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$573 | +$402 | +$351 | +$606 |
A typical rental in ZIP 50311 costs $1,243 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $573 a month from 2006–10, an 85% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 31.1% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the southwest and lowest in the southeast.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in ZIP 50311
Bachelor's degrees in ZIP 50311
| Period | ZIP 50311 | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.3% | 33.6% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 36.9% | 35.5% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 39.4% | 37.1% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 41.9% | 40.3% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.6 pts | +6.6 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
Just over four in ten adults 25 and older in ZIP 50311 (41.9%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a bit above the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 8.6 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the southwest and least in the northeast.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in ZIP 50311
| Period | ZIP 50311 | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.3% | 91.9% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.4% | 92.8% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 87.4% | 92.7% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.9% | 92.9% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.6 pts | +1.0 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over nine in ten adults in ZIP 50311 have finished high school (92.9%), above the national rate of 89.3%. The picture is much the same across the Des Moines area. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 5.6 points, mirroring the country.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in ZIP 50311
| Period | ZIP 50311 | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.9% | 4.8% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.7% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.0% | 3.8% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.9% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | +1.0 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.9%, unemployment in ZIP 50311 is close to the national rate of 5.4%. The rate is higher than in the Des Moines area as a whole (4.5%). Unemployment is up 1.0 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
ZIP 50311 compared with nearby ZIP codes
| ZIP code | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZIP 50311 | 2.06 | 32.5 | 9.5% | 49.0% | 8.3% | 1944 | $1,243 | 41.9% | 92.9% | 5.9% |
| ZIP 50312 | 2.10 | 42.5 | 7.2% | 39.1% | 8.0% | 1951 | $1,117 | 63.0% | 98.1% | 3.2% |
| ZIP 50310 | 2.33 | 37.8 | 10.7% | 31.4% | 7.9% | 1957 | $1,237 | 35.9% | 88.0% | 5.0% |
| ZIP 50314 | 2.80 | 24.1 | 29.4% | 52.3% | 13.7% | 1964 | $972 | 28.2% | 64.4% | 25.6% |
| ZIP 50324 | 2.36 | 44.2 | 9.4% | 21.3% | 10.5% | 1958 | $1,571 | 46.6% | 98.5% | 1.4% |
| ZIP 50309 | 1.41 | 28.8 | 7.7% | 88.6% | 10.9% | 1988 | $1,255 | 61.4% | 93.4% | 5.2% |
| ZIP 50321 | 2.19 | 40.5 | 10.1% | 38.1% | 6.1% | 1979 | $1,118 | 42.1% | 92.8% | 5.1% |
| ZIP 50316 | 3.00 | 31.6 | 22.8% | 35.1% | 10.7% | 1954 | $1,183 | 14.1% | 75.1% | 5.4% |
| ZIP 50313 | 2.38 | 40.2 | 15.8% | 21.5% | 9.5% | 1954 | $1,026 | 18.6% | 84.7% | 8.1% |
| ZIP 50322 | 2.47 | 41.0 | 7.9% | 27.1% | 6.9% | 1977 | $1,266 | 44.3% | 91.9% | 4.2% |
| ZIP 50265 | 2.32 | 39.4 | 8.4% | 34.1% | 5.4% | 1979 | $1,250 | 51.4% | 95.9% | 2.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Zip codes with similar populations: 10941, NY · 21205, MD · 20866, MD · 22508, VA · 18705, PA · 15243, PA · 12182, NY · 11968, NY · 11949, NY · 11702, NY
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up ZIP 50311. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.