Altoona is a city in Polk County, Iowa, home to about 21,495 people across 12 square miles. Its ZIP code is 50009.
Homes sold for a median of $237 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Altoona. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Altoona’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Des Moines International Airport (DSM)12 miles away |
|---|---|
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Omaha, NE136 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL298 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Altoona; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Altoona had 19,565 residents in the 2020 census, up 89% since 2000.
It’s the 26th largest of 1,019 towns in Iowa by population.
Polk County grew from 82,624 residents in 1900 to 492,401 in 2020.
Polk County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 86°F in summer, and winter lows average 12°F. About 37.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 25 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Ankeny, IA weather station (11 miles away).
295,413 jobs at 13,890 businesses in Polk County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
132 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Altoona.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 15 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 1 |
| Dentists | 14 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 26 |
| Mental health providers | 13 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 46 |
| Optometrists | 3 |
| Chiropractors | 14 |
| Pharmacies | 8 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (9 nearby)
Grocery stores (4 nearby)
Pharmacies (2 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums
Theaters and performance venues (4 nearby)
Counts are within about 2.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1876.
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Southeast Polk Comm School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Altoona ElementaryAltoona | Pre-K–5 | 429 | Public | 0.2 mi |
| Centennial ElementaryAltoona | Pre-K–5 | 423 | Public | 0.8 mi |
| Clay ElementaryAltoona | Pre-K–5 | 700 | Public | 1.7 mi |
| Willowbrook ElementaryAltoona | Pre-K–5 | 523 | Public | 0.7 mi |
| Southeast Polk Middle SchoolAltoona | 6–7 | 1,112 | Public | 1.3 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.