Palo Alto County, IA Distress Report: Foreclosure, Tax Liens & ZIPs (2026)
Where is distress concentrating in Palo Alto County, Iowa? DLRadar grades every Palo Alto County ZIP 0-100 from foreclosure, tax-lien, mortgage and insurance records, peaking at 25/100. Here is the 2026 Palo Alto County breakdown.
- Palo Alto County's most distressed ZIP is 50527 at 25/100.
- 14 ZIP codes tracked in Palo Alto County, averaging 22/100 distress.
- Palo Alto County reads peak — home values up 2.5% year over year.
- Vacancy runs 21.2% across Palo Alto County's tracked ZIPs, with a 9.5% poverty rate.
- The typical Palo Alto County home is worth about $111,825 against a ~$69,302 median income.
- Lending headwind in Palo Alto County sits at 70/100 — a forward read on distressed supply.
All numbers: DLRadar's monthly public-record distress index. Reuse is welcome with attribution to DLRadar (dlradar.com).
| Rank | ZIP | Composite distress |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 50527 | 25/100 |
| 2 | 50528 | 25/100 |
| 3 | 50536 | 25/100 |
| 4 | 50562 | 25/100 |
| 5 | 50597 | 24/100 |
| 6 | 50539 | 23/100 |
| 7 | 50598 | 23/100 |
| 8 | 50554 | 21/100 |
| 9 | 51342 | 21/100 |
| 10 | 50515 | 20/100 |
| 11 | 50581 | 20/100 |
| 12 | 50546 | 19/100 |
Most distressed ZIP codes in Palo Alto County (composite distress 0-100, 2026)
What is driving Palo Alto County distress
Nothing here is estimated: Palo Alto County is scored from filings alone, and its ZIPs average 22/100 composite distress. The inputs are FHFA house prices, CFPB delinquency, county recorder foreclosure and lien records, FEMA and NFIP claims, and Census ACS.
Palo Alto County market phase and pricing
DLRadar places Palo Alto County in peak; prices moved up 2.5% over the year. Longer marketing times follow, and with them the sellers worth calling.
See the distressed properties behind the data in Palo Alto County
Browse the full Palo Alto County distress data free, or start a 60-minute exploration to unlock the scored distressed properties inside each ZIP — no card charged today.
Card-free · live data across the whole platform for a week.
What people ask
What is the most distressed ZIP code in Palo Alto County, IA?
ZIP 50527 leads Palo Alto County at 25/100, recomputed monthly from public records.
Which phase does Palo Alto County sit in right now?
Palo Alto County currently sits in peak, with values up 2.5% year on year, based on FHFA price-index trajectory.
How is the Palo Alto County data sourced?
Nothing here is proprietary or estimated — FHFA price data, CFPB performance data, county recorder records, FEMA/NFIP and Census ACS. All 14 Palo Alto County ZIPs are scored by the same deterministic method applied to every U.S. county.
How much do distress scores vary between Palo Alto County ZIP codes?
Averaging the county conceals how uneven it is. Across the Palo Alto County ZIPs DLRadar ranks, scores run from 25/100 in 50527 down to 19/100 in 50546, against a Palo Alto County average of 22/100. With 6 points between best and worst, county-level targeting in Palo Alto County wastes effort.
What do Palo Alto County home values and vacancy say about distressed supply?
The typical Palo Alto County home carries about $111,825 of value against a median household income near $69,302. Vacancy across Palo Alto County's tracked ZIPs runs 21.2% and the poverty rate is 9.5%. Affordability pressure plus standing vacancy is what moves an owner from behind to selling, which is why it is paired with Palo Alto County's filings and its 70/100 lending headwind.
Related
A deterministic scoring of public filings. Nothing on this page constitutes investment, legal or financial advice. Monthly refresh from the live index.