HuxleyIowaPopPlot, 2021
Huxley’s story
144 years in pictures
Census counts: 336 in 1910, 4,244 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1911 on.
- 1882Huxley is settled
HuxleyIA
A town of 4,715, settled in 1882.
Population
4,715
2025 Census estimate · +11.1% since 2020
Typical home
$345K
+0.7% in a year
Household income
$112K
median
Median age
34.9
years
Jobs based here
1,243
A commuter town
TownGrade
A
#26 of 140 in IA
Why does Huxley grade so well?
Because it does well by almost any measure. Huxley earns an A, 26th among Iowa's 140 graded towns. The median household earns $112K, it is healthier than 93% of U.S. towns, and its schools outperform 90% of the state's. The exception is cost of living: homes are expensive, about $345K for a typical one and 4.7 times the Ames metro’s $73K median household income. 54% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Huxley, where Iowa’s towns sit at 25% and U.S. towns at 29%. Among 137 Iowa towns, just 3 have a higher median rent than Huxley. The biggest park or preserve is Centennial Park, at 28 acres.
What makes Huxley stand out
Where Huxley beats most towns.
32 measures vs. Iowa
20 better10 too close to call2 worse
| Widest gap | Huxley | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.3% | 12% |
HealthA
Beats IA on 20 of 32 CDC measures, trails it on 2
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
Ballard Comm School District
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Ballard Middle School | 6–8 | 418 |
| Ballard High School | 9–12 | 586 |
SchoolsA
#13 of the 140 Iowa towns we grade for schools
NCES · EDFacts.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Huxley0.8
Iowa2.4
U.S.3.3
SafetyA−
67% less violent crime than IA
FBI data, 2025. Crimes reported to police.
A growing town
Huxley has grown 42% since 2010
3,317 counted in 2010 and 4,244 in 2020; an estimated 4,715 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 11.1% since 2020, after 27.9% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Huxley grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Huxley is from typical.
Jobs & incomeAOpen →HealthMary Greeley Medical Center 9.5 miles awayAOpen →SchoolsAOpen →SafetyA−Open →Cost of livingC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7 of 20; 2.9% of households have no car; 0.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 41% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors3 miles of trails; 4% conserved landA−Open →History1 notable person born hereC−Open →Civic life8.2 library visits per resident; 4.2 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Huxley: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Huxley, and how to reach them.
PowerInterstate Power and Light17.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterXenia RWD (Boone)No health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Huxley’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 hereStory County AuditorStory County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2026
ZIP code5012450124 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 Huxley.
Huxley has less food insecurity than most of Iowa and sees little violent crime, but it has property taxes 1.7 times the Iowa norm.
HealthA
A smaller share of adults report frequent physical distress in Huxley than in most of Iowa or the rest of the country
Its widest gap with Iowa is food insecurity: 7.3% of its 2,929 adults worry about having enough food, against 12% statewide.
9.4% of Huxley adults report frequent physical distress. Only 3 of the 140 Iowa towns we compare have a lower share of adults who say their health is fair or poor than Huxley. 15% of Huxley adults report frequent mental distress.
93%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade
| Huxley | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.4% | 13% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 35% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 7.4% | 12% | 12% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 32% | 36% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
20 better10 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Huxley | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.3% | 12% |
| Fewer adults with COPD | 4.2% | 6.9% |
| More binge drinkers | 25.2% | 20.5% |
Mary Greeley Medical Center
9.5 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
97th
percentile among IA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsA
Huxley’s grade for schools is an A
Its public schools are run by the Ballard Community School District. Its two schools are below. The largest public high school is Ballard High School, with 586 students.
90%of IA districts it outscoresASchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ballard Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 418 | A |
| Ballard High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 586 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
OutdoorsA−
Conserved land covers 3.7% of Huxley
2.6 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves. Huxley’s trail density is 0.8 miles per square mile.
#28for trails in IA
| Huxley | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.8 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.7% | 3.1% | 4.3% |
3.7%
conserved · 80 of 2,171 acres
2.6 mi
of trails · 0.8 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Berhow Park | 0.3 mi | 6 |
| 2. Centennial Park | 0.2 mi | 28 |
| 3. Heart of Iowa Nature Trail | — | 25 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HousingCost of living grade C−
Huxley’s grade for cost of living is a C−
The median property tax bill is $4,799, against $2,897 across Iowa, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The typical Huxley home is worth about $345,000, up 0.7% in a year, 46% above the Iowa typical home. 81% of households own their home in Huxley.
$345KZillow home value
Typical home value
Huxley$345K
Iowa$237K
Market temperature
31
days on market
97.7%
sale-to-list price
+0.7%
value change, 1 year
6
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SafetyA−
Huxley reports less crime per resident than 82% of U.S. towns
Violent crime is rare: 4 reported in 2025, 0.8 per 1,000 residents.
The property crime rate in Huxley is 4.5 per 1,000 residents.
82%of U.S. towns report more crimeA−Safety Grade
| Huxley | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.5 per 1,000 residents | 7.4 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.8 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Huxley0.8
Iowa2.4
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Huxley4.5
Iowa12.1
U.S.15.5
82nd
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
89th
percentile among IA towns
4
violent crimes reported in 2025
22
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
Huxley has 0.6 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Jobs based here grew from 588 in 2013 to 1,243.
Most working residents leave Huxley for work: only 8% work in town. Since 2013, Huxley has added 655 jobs, to 1,243 in 2023. Among 140 Iowa towns, just 5 have a higher average trip to work than Huxley.
8%work in town
| Huxley | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $112,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 7.6% | 31% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 4.5% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Huxley8%
Ames24%
Des Moines13%
Ankeny10%
West Des Moines5%
14 mi
median commute distance
1,243
jobs based in Huxley
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 31% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Huxley
Huxley has cold winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 12° and about 27 inches of snow falls in a winter.
27″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter15–32°
Spring39–60°
Summer62–82°
Fall41–62°
Oct 12
typical first frost
Apr 26
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Huxley faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 59% of U.S. communities.
41risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesDrought
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Nearby attractions
All 20 attractions →Casey's Center and 15 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Huxley. Close and well known come first.
21 mi Stadium & arenaCasey's Center17 mi Theme parkAdventureland
21 mi MuseumIowa State Capitol
9 mi Stadium & arenaHilton Coliseum
22 mi MuseumDes Moines Art Center
20 mi Stadium & arenaDrake StadiumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Casey's Center: Iowahwyman at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Iowa State Capitol: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Hilton Coliseum: Johannes Cater--Jaretac (talk) 15:14, 17 June 2009 (UTC), Public domain · Des Moines Art Center: Nhandler at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Drake Stadium: U.S. Navy photo by James Woods, Public domain
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Huxley
20pages on Huxley
The big questions
SchoolsABeat 90% of IA districts · 2 schoolsSafetyA−0.8 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthABetter than IA on 20 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingC−$345K typical home · up 0.7% in a yearWork & commuteA$112K median household income · 1,243 jobs hereNatural hazardsBFEMA risk higher than 41% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Huxley
Iowa State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Ames9.4 mi$10,787 in-state tuitionFaith Baptist Bible College and Theological SeminaryUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Ankeny11.1 mi$20,270 tuitionDes Moines Area Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Ankeny13.1 mi$5,790 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Huxley residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
A commuter town
92% of working residents leave Huxley for work
Where Huxley’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,243jobs based in Huxley
8%of working residents work in town
14 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Huxley
City in Iowa, United States
Huxley is a city in Story County, Iowa, United States. The population was 4,244 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the Ames, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a part of the larger Ames-Boone, Iowa Combined Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,024 ft
- ZIP code
- 50124
- Area code
- 515
Questions about Huxley
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Huxley, IA a good place to live?
Yes, by almost any measure. Huxley grades A overall, better than 92% of U.S. towns and #26 of 140 in Iowa. It grades A for health, A− for safety and A for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is Huxley, IA expensive?
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.