Morning in Des Moines, Iowa. The suburban and rural areas around Des Moines are home to several of … [+] the most expensive ZIP codes ion Iowa.
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We’ve been moving through the Midwest, analyzing ZIP codes in terms of their home values, and going state by state to identify the most expensive ones. Recently, we investigated the most expensive ZIP codes in Michigan and Wisconsin. Now, we are going to take a look at Iowa’s most expensive ZIP codes.
So, read on to find out the most expensive ZIP codes in Iowa in 2024, based on data from Zillow’s home value index and the Census Bureau.
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The Most Expensive ZIP Codes in Iowa
Using data from Zillow’s home value index, plus the Census Bureau’s 2023 American Community Survey, we analyzed thousands of ZIP codes across the country. We’ve been identifying the most expensive ZIP codes on various geographic levels, including on the state-level and on the city-level. Here, we’re going on the state-level with what are the most expensive ZIP codes in Iowa.
As part of our analysis, we took into consideration the latest monthly home values Zillow has — December 2024 — as well as the average of 12 months of median home values from January 2024 to December 2024, in order to gain a more complete picture.
Below are the 20 most expensive ZIP codes in Iowa.
The Top 5 Most Expensive ZIP Codes in Iowa
The No. 1 most expensive ZIP code in Iowa is 50061, covering an area south of West Des Moines and includes towns like Cumming and Orilla. This is an affluent place, beyond the immediate suburbs of Des Moines. The median household income in ZIP code 50061 is $130,250, while the average household income is $175,415. Around 30% of households earn at least $200,000 a year in this ZIP code. Home values rose markedly in 50061, with the median home value going from $404,552 in December 2019, to $578,220 in December 2024, which is 42.9% in five years. The growth over just the last year is arguably more impressive, at 4.9%; it rose from $552,312 in December 2023 to $578,220 a year later.
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The No. 2 most expensive ZIP code in Iowa is 51355. It is centered on Okoboji, with its entire left-side boundary being West Okoboji Lake. The lakefront homes here are beautiful and the scenery exemplary. Back in December 2019, the median home value in ZIP code 51355 was $343,041. A year later, it had risen by about $30,000. But from December 2020 to December 2021, the median home value jumped from $371,560 to $433,999. By the end of December 2024, the median home value had reached $517,944, a rate of 51% over five years.
The No. 3 most expensive ZIP code in Iowa — 51331 — is right across the lake, to the south of ZIP code 51355. The third most expensive ZIP code is centered on Arnolds Park, which is connected to Okoboji by Okoboji Grove Road. The median household income in ZIP code 51331 is $84,615, whereas the mean household income is $109,911. This ZIP code experiencing the greatest home value appreciation out of the top five most expensive ZIP codes. From a median home value of $295,105 in December 2019, the median rose by 61%, to reach $475,070 in December 2024.
The fourth most expensive ZIP code in Iowa is 50323, which covers western Urbandale. It’s a little over 11 miles from Des Moines to this ZIP code. Incomes here are very high. The median household income in ZIP code 50323 is $173,659. The average household income is $202,398. Home value growth in 50323 was slower than in the other top most expensive ZIP codes. From a median home value of $348,828 in December 2019, values increased by 31.5%, reaching $458,591 in December 2024.
The No. 5 most expensive ZIP code is 50229, which is a sprawling ZIP code centered in Prole. It stretches from Prole in the east to Patterson in the west. This ZIP code covers a largely rural area southwest of Des Moines. Incomes here are certainly higher than the state average. The median household income in ZIP code 50229 is $106,087, while the average household income is $125,598. Home values increased by more than 40% in 50229. The median home value back in December 2019 was $322,235. It then grew by 41.5% over the next five years, reaching $456,018 by the end of December 2024.
Iowa basketball just capped one of its most magical seasons in years with its first trip to the Elite Eight since 1987.
While the Hawkeyes’ Cinderella run through March Madness closed with a 71-59 loss against No. 3 seed Illinois, Iowa reached the doorstep of the Final Four and that should pay dividends for years to come. Head coach Ben McCollum and Iowa will work to retool for another NCAA Tournament run as soon as next season.
Cooper Koch and Tate Sage each authored enthusiasm for the future with their performance as underclassmen over the course of the season and during March Madness in particular. Iowa will return forwards Alvaro Folgueiras and Cam Manyawu and guard Kael Combs from the core that led the Hawkeyes to 24 wins and an Elite Eight berth.
Iowa head coach Ben McCollum had mentioned earlier in the year that it wasn’t ruling out the possibility of forward Tavion Banks returning for the 2026-27 season either. Banks would need a waiver for additional eligibility, stemming from his career beginning in the JUCO ranks at Northwest Florida State for two seasons.
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“If I get another year, I will be here next year on their side to help them out,” Banks said.
The hope is that Banks could get a Diego Pavia ruling, which earned Pavia another season of football eligibility at Vanderbilt. Pavia sued the NCAA in November of 2024, arguing that his JUCO seasons shouldn’t count toward his overall years of NCAA eligibility. A federal judge in Tennessee granted Pavia an injunction in December of 2024, opening the door for other former JUCO athletes to potentially receive waivers for more NCAA eligibility.
But, Banks is aware of the uncertainty surrounding whether or not he will indeed receive another season of eligibility.
“I don’t know the future. God will plan it all out for me. I wish them the best of luck and I’ll be cheering for them and I’m sure I’ll be a part of Hawkeye nation,” Banks said.
It would be a major boon for McCollum and for the Hawkeyes if Banks is inded able to return for the 2026-27 men’s college basketball season. Banks has played with McCollum each of the past two seasons at Drake and at Iowa, and the 6-foot-7 forward was Iowa’s second-leading scorer this past season, averaging 10.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game on 52% field goal shooting.
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Banks keyed Iowa’s second-round upset of top-seeded Florida, scoring a team-high 20 points in the win over the Gators.
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions.Follow Josh on X: @JoshOnHawks
BRONSON, Iowa (KTIV) – As recovery continues in Northwest Iowa from Saturday’s field fires, one family witnessed the fire firsthand.
On Saturday. March 28, more than 50 organizations from three states responded to a large field fire in Woodbury County.
Several of these organizations worked throughout the night to assist in emergency operations.
Ruth Smith, a Bronson resident, says she and her family saw the fire burn in their backyard, and before she knew it the field in her backyard was fully engulfed in flames.
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“Came out and was looking out the back window and we could see the flames, out there in the field there,” said Smith. “It just, you know, spread so fast.”
Residents from Lawton, Bronson, and Moville had to evacuate their homes for their safety, including members of Smith’s family.
“My daughter and son,” said Smith. “They grabbed some of their stuff and threw it in bags, went down to my in-laws’ house.”
From her house, Smith says she could see her neighbor’s shed catch fire and how she felt throughout the night.
“The emotions are scary when the wind is that crazy and you know the ground is that dry and it spreads really fast,” said Smith.
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A common fear for residents like Smith is the fear of running out of water.
“We’re out here and they’re no fire hydrants, so it’s pretty scary,” said Smith.
Derek Stanfield, the Salix fire chief says a portable water site has been set up at Lawton-Bronson High School.
“We are dumping water in these holding tanks and as trucks need water, they come here, we fill them out of the tanks,” he said. “That allows these trucks to get back on the road, get water, get back, so we don’t run out.”
Center now open in Bronson for those impacted by Saturday’s field fire
Woodbury County Emergency Management says a respite center is now open at Lofted Views Event Center, located at 2086 210th St. in Bronson.
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Those impacted by the fires are encouraged to seek assistance by visiting the center to meet with American Red Cross case workers.
Management says for concerns about recovery efforts, residents can call (712)-222-4400.
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Iowa Colony police say a caller saw a man go underwater in the Meridiana subdivision and did not resurface.
Police Lights (KPRC/Click2Houston.com)
IOWA COLONY, Texas – Iowa Colony police recovered the body of a man Saturday night after witnesses reported seeing him go underwater in a retention pond in the Meridiana subdivision, authorities said.
Officers were dispatched around 7:04 p.m. to a pond behind the 10400 block of Kahlo Court after a caller reported a man was swimming, submerged and did not resurface, according to the Iowa Colony Police Department.
Police said responding officers immediately began searching the area. The Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa Colony Fire Department and Manvel Fire Department assisted at the scene, and the Fort Bend County Dive and Water Rescue Team was called in to help.
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Divers with the Fort Bend County team located the man around 10:10 p.m. and pronounced him deceased, police said.
The man’s identity and the cause of death have not been released. Police said no foul play is suspected and the investigation remains ongoing.
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About the Author
Christian Hudspeth
Christian Hudspeth is a Houston native who joined KPRC 2 News in December 2025. Christian began his news career at KTRK in 2022 before moving to newsrooms in Waco, Texas (KXXV), Las Vegas, Nevada (KTNV), and now back to H-Town. He earned his BA at the University of Houston Jack J. Valenti School of Communication in 2023.
