Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 2,303, settled in 1865. 26% more nonprofits per person than the typical Iowa town.
Trash & recyclingThe best of Colfax’s subject grades are an A for safety, cost of living, and civic life; the weakest is a C for schools. Among 116 Iowa towns, just 10 have a lower property crime rate than Colfax. Colfax is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 69% of U.S. towns. Colfax has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them James Norman Hall House and Colfax Spring City Commercial Historic District. Colfax has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Colfax beats most towns.
Where Colfax’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Colfax is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1887.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Colfax, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Colfax.
At 0.9 per 1,000 residents, Colfax’s violent crime rate is near the Iowa town median (1.5) and below the median of U.S. towns (1.6).
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Colfax-Mingo Community School District. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colfax-Mingo Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 399 | B− |
| Colfax-Mingo Jr/Sr High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 287 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
Most working residents leave Colfax for work: only 5% work in town. At 20 minutes, Colfax’s average trip to work is against 19 minutes in Iowa’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. The top destinations are Des Moines (24%), West Des Moines (6%) and Ankeny (6%).
| Colfax | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 5.3% | 31% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 9.1% | 11% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Colfax beats the Iowa average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 21% of Colfax adults binge drink. Among 141 Iowa towns, just 8 have a lower share of adults who feel lonely than Colfax.
| Colfax | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 20% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 33% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 12% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Colfax | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 5.7% | 6.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Colfax has cold winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 12° and about 29 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical Colfax home is worth about $191,000, up 2.5% in a year, 19% below the Iowa typical home. The median rent in Colfax is $789 a month.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Children under 18 are 30% of residents (23% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 32% of residents (37% statewide). 29% of residents are under 18 in Colfax. Colfax has grown 2% since 2020, to 2,303 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Colfax | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 29% | 23% | 22% |
| Median age | 33.1 years | 38.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 16% | 19% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 22% | 25% | 29% |
46% women, 54% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5 points. Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Colfax | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 20% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.5% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4.1% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 18.5% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.5% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.3% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.3% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.1% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.8% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.6% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 44.6% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.2% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.4% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 15.5% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6.7% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,300, single groups can be off by several points
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 55% of U.S. communities. Since 1984, 18 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Colfax.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Schlosser Park | — | 16 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Colfax; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Colfax residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
2 places in Colfax on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in Colfax.
City in Iowa, US
Colfax is a city in Jasper County, Iowa, United States. Colfax is located approximately 24 miles east of Des Moines. The town was founded in 1866, and was named after Schuyler Colfax, vice president under Ulysses S. Grant. The population was 2,255 at the time of the 2020 census. Newton is the county seat; both were named after Revolutionary War soldiers.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
26% more nonprofits per person than the typical Iowa town.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.
3 notable people were born here, including James Norman Hall and Herschel F. Briles.
