Batavia, Iowa, 2013
Batavia’s story
180 years in pictures
Census counts: 310 in 1870, 430 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1965 on.
- 1846Batavia is established
BataviaIA
A town of 419, established in 1846.
Photo: David Wilson · CC BY 2.0
Population
419
2025 Census estimate · −3.2% since 2020
Typical home
$176K
+7.5% in a year
Household income
$56K
median
Median age
37.4
years
Jobs based here
33
A commuter town
Is Batavia 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 Batavia. Batavia has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Batavia stand out
Where Batavia beats most towns.
Small town
419 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 Batavia: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Batavia, and how to reach them.
PowerMidAmerican Energy11.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterRathbun Regional Water Assn (Rathbun)No health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Batavia’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 hereJefferson County AuditorJefferson County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code5253352533 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 Batavia.
Work & commute
Batavia has 0.2 jobs per working resident, so most workers leave town for work
Batavia’s typical household income stands at $56,000, where Iowa’s towns sit at $69,000 and U.S. towns at $80,000. In Batavia, the mean commuting time is 20 minutes. The median commute is under 12 miles. The top destinations are Fairfield (30%), Ottumwa (9%) and Des Moines (4%).
0%work in town
| Batavia | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $56,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Batavia0%
Fairfield30%
Ottumwa9%
Des Moines4%
Keosauqua2%
12 mi
median commute distance
33
jobs based in Batavia
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Housing
Zillow puts the typical Batavia home at about $176K
The share of households in Batavia who are owner-occupiers is 79%, above both Iowa’s towns (70%) and U.S. towns (73%). Home values are up 7.5% over the year to September 2026. Also worth knowing: the town’s typical rent comes in at $1,021 a month.
$176KZillow home value
| Batavia | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 79% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,021 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Batavia$176K
Iowa$237K
+7.5%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in April
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Batavia has four seasons and pleasant summers
July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 14° and about 22 inches of snow falls in a winter.
22″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter18–35°
Spring40–61°
Summer62–83°
Fall42–63°
Oct 12
typical first frost
Apr 27
typical last frost
+0.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
Batavia has a low natural-hazard risk, chiefly from drought
Expected damage from storms and floods is lower here than in 67% of U.S. communities. Of the losses FEMA expects in Batavia, 27% come from drought and 26% from inland flooding.
33risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
DroughtInland floodingTornadoes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Health
Batavia stands out in Iowa and nationally: a larger share of its adults have obesity
Among 141 Iowa towns, just 4 have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Batavia. The share of adults in Batavia who smoke cigarettes: 18%. This Iowa town does better than the Iowa average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 13.
| Batavia | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 38% | 35% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 35% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 20% | 16% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
3 better16 too close to call13 worse
| What stands out | Batavia | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults getting a yearly checkup | 80.3% | 77.5% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.6% | 77.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.9% | 6.9% |
Jefferson County Health Center
10.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
0% of Batavia is conserved land
Across 1 park or preserve: 0.1 miles of trail. Batavia’s density of trails stands at 0.2 miles per square mile. Parks and preserves in the town: one, of 4 acres.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 394 acres
0.1 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Batavia City Ball Park and Playground | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Batavia
17pages on Batavia
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Batavia
Maharishi International UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Fairfield10.5 mi$16,530 tuitionIndian Hills Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Ottumwa12.3 mi$5,040 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Batavia residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Batavia for work
Where Batavia’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
33jobs based in Batavia
0%of working residents work in town
12 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Batavia
City in Iowa, United States
Batavia is a city in Jefferson County, Iowa, United States. The population was 430 at the 2020 census. It was established in 1846.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 751 ft
- ZIP code
- 52533
Questions about Batavia
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Batavia, IA a good place to live?
Batavia has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.