50311 Zip Code Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for the zip code 50311, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

50311 is a zip code in Polk County, Iowa, which covers Des Moines, with a total population of 15,979 people.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in the 50311 zip code. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in 50311.

The estimated population of people living in 50311 is 15,979, with a median age of 29.7.

We can look back at data from previous years to see how the population in the 50311 area has changed over the last 5 years.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
15,979
+0.27%
+1.96%
2020
15,936
+1.26%
-
2019
15,738
 -0.01% -
2018
15,740
+0.43%
-
2017
15,672
 - -

Population of 50311 by Race and Ethnicity

How much has the race and ethnicity of the population in the 50311 zip code changed? The US Census Bureau gives us a few defined types that the population is broken down into.

Let's look at the total numbers and also the change over the last 5 years.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
66.4%
69.2%
 -4.05%
Black/African American
13.3%
11.9%
 +11.76%
Native
0.2%
0.5%
 -60.00%
Hispanic
8.8%
9%
 -2.22%
Asian
5.8%
3.8%
 +52.63%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
5.4%
4.2%
 +28.57%
Other
0.1%
1.4%
 -92.86%

This data can be very important for anybody studying the 50311 zip for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of 50311 by Age and Gender

We can also monitor the change of the age and gender in the 50311 zip code to track track trends in the population over time.

We can see how the population in 50311 has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 29.7 +2.77% 31.3 +4.68% 28.7 +1.41%
2020 28.9 +1.76% 29.9 +2.05% 28.3 +2.91%
2019 28.4 +1.07% 29.3 +3.53% 27.5 -1.43%
2018 28.1 -2.43% 28.3 -1.74% 27.9 -3.13%
2017 28.8 - 28.8 - 28.8 -

The median age of the 50311 zip gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population in the 50311 area, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 791 +27.47% 851 +20.75% 1,014 1,018
10 to 19 1,492 -17.39% 1,669 -20.43% 1,240 1,347
20 to 29 1,677 -6.22% 1,750 +7.22% 1,564 1,872
30 to 39 838 +68% 1,166 -17.65% 1,484 960
40 to 49 946 -5.84% 811 +19.52% 868 969
50 to 59 857 1.03% 734 +7.83% 852 793
60 to 69 670 -25.8% 693 -7.02% 493 644
70+ 320 +3.02% 407 +31.95% 326 535

Median Household Income

The latest median household income for the 50311 zip code is $57,065.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less.

The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for 50311.

  • Under 25
    $19,881.00
  • 25 to 44
    $60,518.00
  • 45 to 64
    $67,580.00
  • 65 and over
    $59,758.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in the 50311 zip code, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in 50311, and then dividing that number by the total number of households.

This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of 50311 is currently $69,297.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

3.48% of households in 50311 are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of 50311 against other zip codes.

  • Less than $24,999
    25.05%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    20.51%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    19.97%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    11.70%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    14.36%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    4.93%
  • $200,000 or more
    3.48%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in 50311 is $29,329.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of 50311 by the total population of 50311.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people living in the 50311 area, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in 50311 to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    18.78%
  • Bachelor's degree
    42.17%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    14.42%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    22.26%
  • Less than high school diploma
    2.37%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in 50311 that are over the age of 16.

Currently, the total population of the 50311 zip over the age of 16 is 13,116.

Of those people, a total of 70.50% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in 50311 is 65.50%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate. Here's how that breaks down for the 50311 zip code.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 1,756 53.10% 9.20%
20 to 24 years 2,061 73.80% 13.50%
25 to 29 years 1,375 84.90% 10.10%
30 to 34 years 1,355 66.20% 0.10%
35 to 44 years 1,903 90.30% 4.70%
45 to 54 years 1,908 83.30% 6.90%
55 to 59 years 760 79.70% 4.10%
60 to 64 years 535 74.80% 1.50%
65 to 74 years 1,189 33.20% 6.60%
75 years and over 274 7.70% 0.00%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in 50311. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau (which we mentioned earlier in this article).

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 9,906 73.30% 6.30%
Black or African American 1,482 67.30% 13.90%
American Indian and Alaska Native 39 79.50% 12.90%
Asian 714 57.70% 3.90%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0 0.00% 0.00%
Other 235 57.90% 0.00%
Two or more races 740 54.70% 9.60%
Hispanic or Latino 906 66.10% 4.00%
Not Hispanic or Latino 9,350 73.70% 6.70%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations for people living in the 50311 area as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in 50311 is 8,589, with median earnings of $35,710.00.

Women in 50311 are earning approximately 76.40% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 8,589 $35,710.00
Male 4,571 $40,652.00
Female 4,018 $31,066.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings for 50311 even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 862 $56,300.00
Business and Financial 705 $65,686.00
Computer and Mathematical 354 $78,654.00
Architecture and Engineering 94 $78,750.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 53 $51,964.00
Community and Social Service 133 $50,156.00
Legal 124 $62,500.00
Educational and Library 460 $21,136.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 326 $6,500.00
Healthcare Practitioners 394 $60,135.00
Healthcare Support 198 $21,307.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 52 $3,594.00
Law Enforcement 26 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 718 $17,667.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 317 $22,396.00
Personal Care and Service 393 $6,090.00
Sales 1,157 $25,995.00
Office and Administrative Support 801 $41,420.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 60 $4,000.00
Construction and Extraction 396 $28,854.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 77 $29,526.00
Production 448 $29,167.00
Transportation and Material Moving 105 $28,625.00

Occupations by Gender

Now we can also look at the occupations by category for 50311 when it is broken down by male and female.

This lets us see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings for 50311.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 531 $57,350.00 331 $47,386.00
Business and Financial 395 $60,156.00 310 $67,813.00
Computer and Mathematical 264 $81,029.00 90 $48,750.00
Architecture and Engineering 94 $78,750.00 0 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 38 $56,875.00 15 $0.00
Community and Social Service 36 $56,250.00 97 $46,375.00
Legal 70 $60,833.00 54 $67,500.00
Educational and Library 141 $27,708.00 319 $20,966.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 163 $4,794.00 163 $10,625.00
Healthcare Practitioners 74 $42,031.00 320 $60,338.00
Healthcare Support 34 $40,313.00 164 $21,250.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 44 $2,969.00 8 $0.00
Law Enforcement 7 $0.00 19 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 378 $25,500.00 340 $14,451.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 237 $25,750.00 80 $19,265.00
Personal Care and Service 92 $5,625.00 301 $6,196.00
Sales 530 $40,720.00 627 $17,438.00
Office and Administrative Support 299 $50,362.00 502 $40,887.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 50 $0.00 10 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 378 $28,646.00 18 $0.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 77 $29,526.00 0 $0.00
Production 285 $33,309.00 163 $26,648.00
Transportation and Material Moving 70 $22,016.00 35 $30,114.00

Households and Family Size

A household is defined by the US Census Bureau as a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 6,386 households in 50311, with an average household size of 2.18 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 2,982 families living in the 50311 zip code with an average family size of 3 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each, that live in 50311:

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 2,023 233 726 3,404
Average Household Size 3.25 3.14 2.8 1.35
Total Families 2,023 233 726 0
Average Household Size 3.2 2.82 2.5 0

Poverty

Of the 2,982 families living in 50311, 18.90% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in 50311:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 6,891 housing units in 50311.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 6,386 92.67%
Vacant 505 7.33%

46.42% of the total 6,891 housing units in 50311 are rental units. This is approximately 3,199 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 3,069 are occupied by the owner - or 44.54% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in 50311 is $850.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in 50311 that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    118
  • Less than $500
    247
  • $500 to $999
    2,004
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    633
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    283
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    12
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    20
  • $3,000 or more
    0

Property Value

The median value of a property in 50311 is $179,600.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in 50311 that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    81
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    213
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    699
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    964
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    964
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    138
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    10
  • $1,000,000 or more
    0

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in 50311. The chart below shows the number of properties in 50311 that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    3,355
  • 1940 to 1949
    749
  • 1950 to 1959
    1,016
  • 1960 to 1969
    433
  • 1970 to 1979
    374
  • 1980 to 1989
    238
  • 1990 to 1999
    217
  • 2000 to 2009
    228
  • 2010 to 2013
    281
  • 2014 or later
    0

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in 50311 that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    720
  • 1 vehicle available
    2,334
  • 2 vehicles available
    2,670
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    662

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in 50311 get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in 50311 that commute to work in a particular way.

17.5 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in 50311.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    229
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    940
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    1,998
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    1,750
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    1,340
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    439
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    346
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    11
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    49
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    44
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    188
  • 90 or more minutes
    83

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for 50311 in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.

States in 50311

If you want to see how the population and demographics of 50311 compare to other zip codes in Iowa, check out the list of all Iowa zip codes below: