Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Dexter’s average trip to work is 31 minutes, against 19 minutes in Iowa’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Among 141 Iowa towns, just one has a lower share of working residents who work in town than Dexter. Dexter Community House is on the National Register of Historic Places. Dexter has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Dexter beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 704 in 1880, 640 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1875 and 3 maps from 1949 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Dexter, 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 Dexter.
The share of residents in Dexter who live below the poverty line is 5.8%, below both Iowa’s towns (11%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Since 2013, Dexter has added 38 jobs, to 104 in 2023. The top destinations are Des Moines (19%), West Des Moines (16%) and Adel (7%). For half of commuters, work is under 26 miles away.
| Dexter | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 5.8% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $87,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 12% | 8.5% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its one school is below. Dexter’s only public school teaches 186 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dexter Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades 3–5 | Grades 3–5 | 186 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts
Expect July afternoons of 85° and January nights of 12°, with about 26 inches of snow a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Compared with just over three fifths of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in Dexter is lower. FEMA puts just over two fifths of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 20% to tornadoes. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Dexter after 5 declared disasters, most recently in 2024.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Only 8 of the 141 Iowa towns we compare have a lower share of adults who sleep under 7 hours than Dexter. The share of adults in Dexter who have obesity: 34%.
| Dexter | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 20% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 32% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 32% | 33% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Dexter | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.3% | 12% |
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 8.3% | 11.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Dexter’s midpoint rent is $845 a month. In the year to September 2026, typical home values slipped 2.8%. 82% of households own their home in the town.
| Dexter | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 82% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $845 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Dexter City Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Dexter; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Dexter residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
Where Dexter’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Iowa, United States
Dexter is a city in Dallas County, Iowa, United States. The population was 640 at the time of the 2020 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)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Dexter has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
