BayardIowaPopPlot, 2021
Bayard’s story
144 years in pictures
The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
- 1882Bayard is settled
BayardIA
A town of 401, settled in 1882.
Photo: Mostly Iowa Edits · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
401
2025 Census estimate · −1.2% since 2020
Typical home
$111K
−5.4% in a year
Household income
$57K
median
Median age
40.7
years
Jobs based here
137
Balanced
Is Bayard a good place to live?
Bayard’s average trip to work is 39 minutes, against 19 minutes in Iowa’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Of the 141 Iowa towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Bayard. Bayard has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
401 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 Bayard: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bayard, and how to reach them.
PowerMidAmerican Energy11.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBayard Water SupplyNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Bayard’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 hereGuthrie County AuditorGuthrie County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code5002950029 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 Bayard.
Housing
A typical Bayard home is worth about $111K
The typical Bayard home is worth about $111,000, down 5.4% in a year, 53% below the Iowa typical home. At $894 a month, Bayard’s median rent is near the Iowa town median ($911 a month) and below the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month).
$111KZillow home value
| Bayard | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $894 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 74% | 70% | 73% |
Typical home value
Bayard$111K
Iowa$237K
−5.4%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in March
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
In Bayard, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Bayard has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 11° and about 32 inches of snow falls in a winter.
32″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter14–32°
Spring37–60°
Summer61–83°
Fall39–62°
Oct 3
typical first frost
May 2
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commute
A larger share of residents in Bayard live below the poverty line than in the typical Iowa or U.S. town
27% of residents live below the poverty line in Bayard. Most working residents leave Bayard for work: only 3% work in town. The median household income in Bayard is $57,000.
3%work in town
| Bayard | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 27% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.6% | 31% | 8% |
| Median household income | $57,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Bayard3%
Guthrie Center14%
Panora6%
Atlantic4%
Adair3%
27 mi
median commute distance
137
jobs based in Bayard
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Health
How healthy Bayard is
Bayard beats the Iowa average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 20% of Bayard adults binge drink.
| Bayard | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 20% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 21% | 23% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 76% | 78% | 79% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 15% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
1 better31 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Bayard | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 8.5% | 11.6% |
Guthrie County Hospital
12.1 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Moderate risk in Bayard, with drought at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 54% of U.S. communities.
54risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
DroughtInland floodingTornadoes
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 325 acres
0.1 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bayard City Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Bayard
18pages on Bayard
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Bayard; the nearest are
Des Moines University-Osteopathic Medical CenterUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · West Des Moines43.8 miIowa Central Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Fort Dodge47.8 mi$5,496 in-state tuitionIowa State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Ames48.3 mi$10,787 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Bayard residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
About Bayard
City in Iowa, United States
Bayard is a city in Guthrie County, Iowa, United States. The population was 405 in the 2020 census, a decline from 536 in 2000 census. It is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1883
- Area
- 0.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,135 ft
- ZIP code
- 50029
Questions about Bayard
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Bayard, IA a good place to live?
Bayard has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.