BadgerIowaPopPlot, 2021
Badger’s story
144 years in pictures
The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
- 1882Badger is settled
BadgerIA
A town of 540, settled in 1882.
Population
540
2025 Census estimate · +2.5% since 2020
Typical home
$178K
+1.5% in a year
Household income
$73K
median
Median age
42.5
years
Jobs based here
67
A commuter town
Is Badger a good place to live?
Of the 141 Iowa towns we compare, none has a lower share of working residents who work in town than Badger. Badger has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
540 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Badger: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Badger, and how to reach them.
PowerMidAmerican Energy11.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBadger Water SupplyNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Badger’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Iowa you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereWebster County AuditorWebster County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code5051650516 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Badger.
Work & commute
Most of Badger’s workers commute out: the town has 0.3 jobs for each of them
5.1% of Badger residents live below the poverty line, below both the Iowa town median (11%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). In Badger, the mean commuting time is 19 minutes. Half the trips to work are shorter than 12 miles. The top destinations are Fort Dodge (34%), Webster City (6%) and Ames (4%).
0%work in town
| Badger | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 5.1% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Badger0%
Fort Dodge34%
Webster City6%
Ames4%
Humboldt3%
12 mi
median commute distance
67
jobs based in Badger
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Housing
Zillow puts the typical Badger home at about $178K
In Badger, the median rent is $750 a month, against $911 a month in Iowa’s towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns. 86% of Badger households live in a home they own. Also worth knowing: over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home gained 1.5% in value.
$178KZillow home value
| Badger | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 86% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $750 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Badger$178K
Iowa$237K
+1.5%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers: that is Badger’s year
A winter brings about 39 inches of snow, with January nights at 9° and July afternoons at 83°.
39″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter12–29°
Spring36–58°
Summer60–81°
Fall39–60°
Oct 8
typical first frost
Apr 28
typical last frost
+0.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
The biggest natural risk in Badger is drought, at a low overall level
Compared with 62% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in Badger is lower. Households in the town have drawn federal disaster aid in 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2010. Of the losses FEMA expects locally, 29% come from drought and 27% from tornadoes.
38risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
DroughtTornadoesInland flooding
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Health
Compared with most of Iowa and the rest of the country, more of Badger’s adults sleep under 7 hours
The share of adults in Badger who binge drink: 21%. This Iowa town tracks Iowa closely on all 32 CDC measures.
| Badger | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 20% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 38% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 32% | 36% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
0 better32 too close to call0 worse
Trinity Regional Medical Center
8.8 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Who lives here
Young adults are less common in Badger than in Iowa
Adults 18 to 34 are 18% of residents (23% statewide). Among adults 25 and older, 26% have a four-year degree or more, against 31% across Iowa. The midpoint age for Badger comes to 42.5 years. 540 people lived in Badger by the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate, 2.5% more than in 2020.
42.5median age · IA 38.6
| Badger | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 22% | 19% | 18% |
| Median age | 42.5 years | 38.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 24% | 23% | 22% |
BadgerIowaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
16%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma6%
High school27%
Some college27%
Associate’s14%
Bachelor’s20%
Graduate6%
Women and men · all residents
61% women, 39% men
About 65 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±7.9 points). Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Badger | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.7% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 14.1% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.5% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.1% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.7% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.3% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 16.2% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 14.3% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.2% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.3% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 27.2% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 26.5% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 14.2% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.5% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6.3% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 500, single groups can be off by several points
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Badger
16pages on Badger
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Badger
About 3 of every 100 Badger residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Badger for work
Where Badger’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
67jobs based in Badger
0%of working residents work in town
12 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Badger
City in Iowa, USA
Badger is a Town in Webster County, Iowa, United States. The population was 522 at the 2020 census. The town got its name from Badger Creek, which itself got its name when a group of soldiers from Fort Dodge in the early 1850s saw a badger for the first time.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,152 ft
- ZIP code
- 50516
- Area code
- 515
Questions about Badger
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Badger, IA a good place to live?
Badger has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.