50266 ZIP Code, West Des Moines, IA
50266 is a ZIP code in West Des Moines, Iowa — mostly in Dallas County (75% of its land), with smaller parts in Polk County. It covers 22 square miles of land. The closest ZIP codes are 50265, 50325 and 50263. 37,523 people live here in 17,459 households, which puts it among the most populous 1% of Iowa ZIP codes. At about 1,682 people per square mile it has suburban density, and owners and renters are mixed (50% own). Median household income is $87,025, above the Iowa median of $75,059; 22% of residents moved in during the past year.
Quick facts
- Mailing city: West Des Moines, IA
- County: Dallas County
- Land area: 22 sq mi
- Population: 37,523
- Median household income: $87,025
- Carrier routes: 28 (20,565 homes)
Key figures
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Residents | 37,523 |
| Households | 17,459 |
| Median household income | $87,025 |
| Income per person | $58,079 |
| Median age | 34.9 |
| Homeowners | 49.8% |
| Median home value | $345,600 |
| Median rent | $1,331 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 58.2% |
| Average commute (minutes) | 18.8 |
| Households with kids under 18 | 23.3% |
| Moved in the past year | 21.9% |
| Below the poverty line | 8.9% |
| Broadband internet | 92.9% |
| Speak a non-English language at home | 14.4% |
Household income
| % of households | Value |
|---|---|
| <$10K | 2.8% |
| $10–15K | 1.5% |
| $15–25K | 5.5% |
| $25–35K | 7.8% |
| $35–50K | 11.0% |
| $50–75K | 14.1% |
| $75–100K | 14.5% |
| $100–150K | 17.2% |
| $150–200K | 9.0% |
| $200K+ | 16.5% |
Age
| % of all residents | Value |
|---|---|
| <10 | 11.9% |
| 10–19 | 9.4% |
| 20–24 | 9.2% |
| 25–34 | 19.7% |
| 35–44 | 14.1% |
| 45–54 | 11.4% |
| 55–64 | 10.7% |
| 65–74 | 7.1% |
| 75+ | 6.4% |
Tenure
| % of housing units | Value |
|---|---|
| Owned, with mortgage | 30.2% |
| Owned outright | 17.0% |
| Rented | 46.8% |
| Vacant | 5.9% |
Type of building
| % of housing units | Value |
|---|---|
| Detached house | 34.8% |
| Townhome | 14.5% |
| 2–4 units | 2.6% |
| 5–19 units | 19.7% |
| 20+ units | 28.1% |
| Mobile / other | 0.3% |
Businesses in 50266
1,920 business establishments with 53,512 employees (ZIP Codes Business Patterns 2023).
- Finance and Insurance: 319
- Health Care and Social Assistance: 313
- Retail Trade: 266
- Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services: 265
- Accommodation and Food Services: 172
- Real Estate and Rental and Leasing: 130
- Other Services (except Public Administration): 115
- Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services: 99
EDDM carrier routes
50266 has 28 USPS carrier routes with 20,565 residential and 1,840 business mailboxes. Open the EDDM route map.
Carrier routes in 50266
50266 has 28 USPS carrier routes (7 city (C), 21 rural (R)) with 20,565 residential and 1,840 business mailboxes. Routes range from 190 homes (C015) to 1,180 homes (R095); the median route has 788 homes. The Census counted 17,459 households in 50266 (2020–2024 average); USPS counts current mailboxes, including new and vacant homes.
| Homes per route | Routes |
|---|---|
| 1–249 | 3 |
| 250–499 | 4 |
| 500–749 | 6 |
| 750–999 | 8 |
| 1,000–1,499 | 7 |
| 1,500+ | 0 |
Best routes in 50266 for…
Most businesses
For B2B offers: office supplies, cleaning, IT, catering and commercial services.
- Route R037 — USPS business mailboxes 282, 224 homes
- Route R087 — USPS business mailboxes 216, 299 homes
- Route R066 — USPS business mailboxes 171, 709 homes
- Route C015 — USPS business mailboxes 162, 190 homes
- Route C029 — USPS business mailboxes 158, 328 homes
Select these 5 routes on the route map
Every carrier route in 50266
| Route | Type | Homes | Businesses | Est. median income | Est. owners | Est. families with kids | Est. moved in past year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C015 | City | 190 | 162 | $79,085 | — | — | — |
| C017 | City | 368 | 117 | $125,297 | — | — | — |
| C018 | City | 249 | 99 | $160,492 | — | — | — |
| C020 | City | 446 | 109 | $85,584 | — | — | — |
| C025 | City | 597 | 28 | $76,108 | — | — | — |
| C029 | City | 328 | 158 | $57,460 | — | — | — |
| C038 | City | 657 | 21 | $60,442 | — | — | — |
| R010 | Rural | 755 | 6 | $84,728 | — | — | — |
| R030 | Rural | 743 | 0 | $185,836 | — | — | — |
| R031 | Rural | 880 | 6 | $126,032 | — | — | — |
| R037 | Rural | 224 | 282 | $126,032 | — | — | — |
| R040 | Rural | 986 | 4 | $185,836 | — | — | — |
| R061 | Rural | 1,001 | 9 | $59,137 | — | — | — |
| R066 | Rural | 709 | 171 | $103,585 | — | — | — |
| R067 | Rural | 820 | 0 | $126,032 | — | — | — |
| R068 | Rural | 584 | 143 | $59,137 | — | — | — |
| R069 | Rural | 549 | 141 | $126,032 | — | — | — |
| R071 | Rural | 1,010 | 19 | $84,728 | — | — | — |
| R074 | Rural | 1,030 | 32 | $88,077 | — | — | — |
| R075 | Rural | 847 | 2 | $147,567 | — | — | — |
| R077 | Rural | 958 | 63 | $117,584 | — | — | — |
| R086 | Rural | 993 | 2 | $84,728 | — | — | — |
| R087 | Rural | 299 | 216 | $103,585 | — | — | — |
| R088 | Rural | 1,006 | 4 | $126,032 | — | — | — |
| R095 | Rural | 1,180 | 3 | $147,567 | — | — | — |
| R096 | Rural | 1,162 | 2 | $200,001+ | — | — | — |
| R097 | Rural | 1,143 | 4 | $98,041 | — | — | — |
| R101 | Rural | 851 | 37 | $200,001+ | — | — | — |
Income, owners, families and movers are estimates for each route (how we estimate them); mailbox counts are current USPS figures. Open 50266 on the EDDM route map.
How route demographics are estimated
Mailbox counts come from USPS; demographics are estimates
The number of homes and businesses on each carrier route is the current USPS EDDM count. The Census Bureau does not publish figures for carrier routes, so income, homeownership, ages, families, movers and housing age on a route are EDDM2GO estimates built from Census block groups (neighborhood areas of roughly 600 to 3,000 people).
How a route gets its figures: the block-group length-share method
We trace each route's streets every 25 meters and record which block group each stretch falls in. The route's homes are spread along its streets in proportion to length, so a route with 60% of its street length in one block group is assumed to have 60% of its homes there. Each block group then contributes its Census counts in proportion to the share of its housing units that sit on the route (capped at the whole block group). Medians are recalculated from the combined income, home-value and age brackets, the way the Census Bureau computes them, not averaged.
Margins of error
Census survey figures carry a margin of error at 90% confidence; we carry it through the calculation and show it as ±. Our margins treat the route-to-block-group split as exact, so the real uncertainty is larger. Routes with fewer than 100 estimated households, large margins, or streets we could not place are flagged.
Different years
USPS mailbox counts are current. Census figures are 5-year averages for 2020–2024, so a new subdivision may have more homes on the route today than the Census counted. Use the route figures to compare routes with each other, not as an exact head count.
Why some routes show identical figures
Two routes that run through the same block group get the same percentages and medians, because the Census publishes one set of figures for the whole block group. Their mailbox counts still differ, and those are exact.
Route and mailbox counts: USPS EDDM route data. Route demographics: EDDM2GO estimates from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year block-group data (2020–2024) and 2024 cartographic block-group boundaries. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Nearby ZIP codes
- 50265 — West Des Moines city, IA (3.6 mi)
- 50325 — Clive city, IA (3.6 mi)
- 50263 — Waukee city, IA (4.4 mi)
- 50323 — Urbandale city, IA (5 mi)
- 50038 — West Des Moines city, IA (5.3 mi)
- 50324 — Windsor Heights city, IA (6 mi)
- 50061 — West Des Moines city, IA (6.1 mi)
- 50322 — Urbandale city, IA (6.4 mi)
Areas that include 50266
- West Des Moines, IA ZIP codes — 2 ZIP codes
- Dallas County ZIP codes — 22 ZIP codes
- Polk County ZIP codes — 39 ZIP codes
- Iowa ZIP code data
Where it ranks
- No. 1 of 15: highest share of residents who moved in during the past year in Dallas County
- No. 2 of 15: lowest median age in Dallas County
- No. 3 of 15: fastest population growth in Dallas County
Mail every home in 50266
Route counts on this page price as Full Service 6.5 × 9 postcards: we print, bundle by carrier route and hand the mailing to USPS. Prefer to take it to the Post Office yourself? Print only costs less and you pay postage at drop-off.
EDDM guides
ZIP code statistics describe the Census ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) 50266, which approximates the USPS ZIP code area. Census figures: American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024.
Frequently asked questions
- What city is 50266 in?
- 50266 is a West Des Moines, IA mailing address. By land area, 100% lies inside West Des Moines.
- What county is 50266 in?
- 50266 is mostly in Dallas County (75% of its land), with smaller parts in Polk County.
- What is the population of 50266?
- About 37,523 people (±1,020), according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2020–2024. The 2020 Census counted 36,486.
- What is the median household income in 50266?
- $87,025 (±$2,948), compared with $75,059 for Iowa as a whole. Half the households in the ZIP code earn more and half earn less.
- How many carrier routes and mailboxes are in 50266?
- 28 USPS carrier routes with 20,565 residential and 1,840 business mailboxes (22,414 in all), from the route data stored by EDDM2GO. An EDDM mailing can target any combination of these routes.
- What ZIP codes are near 50266?
- The closest, measured center to center: 50265 (3.6 mi, West Des Moines), 50325 (3.6 mi, Clive), 50263 (4.4 mi, Waukee), 50323 (5 mi, Urbandale), 50038 (5.3 mi, West Des Moines) and 50324 (6 mi, Windsor Heights).
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.