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.
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.
The Most Expensive ZIP Codes I 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.
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.
