Van Meter is a city in Madison County, Iowa, home to about 1,628 people across 2.3 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 50038 and 50261.
Homes sold for a median of $285 per square foot across 2 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and all of them were seller’s markets.
Mostly West Des Moines; part is in Van Meter
Mostly West Des Moines; part is in Van Meter
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Van Meter. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
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| Nearest major airport | Des Moines International Airport (DSM)14 miles away |
|---|---|
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Omaha, NE112 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL323 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Van Meter; 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.
Van Meter had 1,484 residents in the 2020 census, up 71% since 2000.
It’s the 200th largest of 1,019 towns in Iowa by population.
Madison County grew from 17,710 residents in 1900 to 16,548 in 2020.
Madison County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 84°F in summer, and winter lows average 10°F. About 34.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 31 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Winterset 1s, IA weather station (12 miles away).
2,850 jobs at 435 businesses in Madison County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
7 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Van Meter’s ZIP codes.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Specialist doctors | 1 |
|---|---|
| Dentists | 1 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 1 |
| Mental health providers | 1 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 1 |
| Chiropractors | 2 |
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.
Libraries
Counts are within about 1 mile 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.
Public schools here are run by Van Meter Comm School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Van Meter Elementary SchoolVan Meter | Pre-K–5 | 578 | Public | 4.3 mi |
| Van Meter Middle SchoolVan Meter | 6–8 | 252 | Public | 4.3 mi |
| Van Meter High SchoolVan Meter | 9–12 | 316 | Public | 4.3 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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Shares ZIP codes with West Des Moines and Waukee.
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.