ZIP Code 50309 — Des Moines city, IA Demographics & Data

ZIP code 50309 covers Des Moines, IA in Polk County with a population of about 9,199.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 28.9 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area code 515; U.S. House district IA-3; the DES MOINES - AMES media market.

Des Moines, IA sits in a university / college context (near mercy college of health sciences (0.7 mi)). Expect stronger interest in student housing, rentals, walkability, transit, and a younger adult age mix versus typical suburban ZIPs.

Median household income in ZIP 50309 is about $57,974 — about 23% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 17.1%; unemployment rate near 4.3%; 66.8% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 33.1 points above the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Healthcare, Professional services, and Finance and insurance; about 18.1% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 2.9 points above the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 180.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $286,900 — about 18% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $1,096 (about 6% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 11.7% (about 53.7 points below the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 50309 in Des Moines, IA, a household would need roughly $79,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $1,843. That is about 36% above the local median household income ($57,974), so the median earner would likely stretch or need a larger down payment. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for Des Moines city, IA as Relatively Moderate (composite score 92.0), which is among the highest nationally. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (92.1) and wildfire (57.7). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for Des Moines city, IA show little to no average snow and around 36.5 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 528 for ZIP 50309 (Des Moines city, IA) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.