Interstate 80 - Iowa, 2014
Baxter’s story
154 years in pictures
Census counts: 427 in 1900, 962 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1975 on.
- 1872Baxter is settled
BaxterIA
A town of 984, settled in 1872.
Photo: PopePompus · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
984
2025 Census estimate · +1.5% since 2020
Typical home
$273K
+7.1% in a year
Household income
$61K
median
Median age
33.9
years
Jobs based here
247
A commuter town
Is Baxter a good place to live?
Among 141 Iowa towns, just one has a higher mean commuting time than Baxter. Baxter has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
984 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 Baxter: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Baxter, and how to reach them.
PowerMidAmerican Energy11.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBaxter Water SupplyNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Baxter’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 hereJasper County AuditorJasper County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code5002850028 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 Baxter.
Work & commute
Most of Baxter’s workers commute out: the town has 0.6 jobs for each of them
Half commute less than 28 miles. Among working residents in Baxter, 6.2% work locally, below the Iowa town median (31%) and near the median of U.S. towns (8%). In Baxter, 15% of residents live below the poverty line. The top destinations are Des Moines (17%), Newton (9%) and Ankeny (7%).
6%work in town
| Baxter | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 6.2% | 31% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $61,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Baxter6%
Des Moines17%
Newton9%
Ankeny7%
West Des Moines6%
28 mi
median commute distance
247
jobs based in Baxter
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Schools
The schools Baxter’s kids attend
Its two schools are below. Public schools: the Baxter Community School District.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baxter Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 209 | B+ |
| Baxter High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 262 | B |
NCES · EDFacts
Climate
Expect four seasons and pleasant summers in Baxter
The range runs from 12° on a January night to 84° on a July afternoon, with about 29 inches of snow a winter.
29″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter15–32°
Spring38–60°
Summer62–82°
Fall41–62°
Oct 17
typical first frost
Apr 22
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Housing
Baxter’s typical home value is about $273K
Baxter’s going rate for rent is $900 a month, against $911 a month in Iowa’s towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns. Home values are up 7.1% over the year to September 2026. The share of households in Baxter who are owner-occupiers: 74%.
$273KZillow home value
| Baxter | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $900 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 74% | 70% | 73% |
Typical home value
Baxter$273K
Iowa$237K
+7.1%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in April
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazards
Baxter faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Federal aid has come to Baxter households in 7 declared disasters; the latest was in 2024. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in just over three fifths of U.S. communities. 37% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by drought at 28%.
39risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingDroughtTornadoes
7
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Health
How healthy Baxter is
30% of adults feel lonely in Baxter. Baxter: 29% of adults sleep under 7 hours.
| Baxter | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 32% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 20% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 33% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 26% | 25% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
1 better31 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Baxter | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults seeing a dentist | 73.9% | 66.8% |
Mercyone Newton Medical Center
9.9 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
In Baxter, 0.8% of the land is conserved
Count the trails in 2 parks and preserves and they come to 0.2 miles. Only 7 of the 140 Iowa towns we compare have a lower share of conserved land than Baxter.
0.8%conserved
| Baxter | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.8% | 3.1% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
0.8%
conserved · 3 of 415 acres
0.2 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Chichaqua Valley Trail | — | 3 |
| 2. Baxter City Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Baxter
19pages on Baxter
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Baxter; the nearest are
Marshalltown Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Marshalltown17.4 mi$5,496 in-state tuitionIowa State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Ames29 mi$10,787 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Baxter residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Iowa.
A shrinking town
Baxter has shrunk 11% since 2010
1,101 counted in 2010 and 962 in 2020; an estimated 984 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
About Baxter
City in Iowa, United States
Baxter is a city in Jasper County, Iowa, United States. Baxter is located 33 miles (53 km) northeast of Des Moines. The population was 962 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,004 ft
- ZIP code
- 50028
Questions about Baxter
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Baxter, IA a good place to live?
Baxter has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.