Calamus Creek Bridge · National Register of Historic Places
Maxwell’s story
144 years in pictures
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1882Maxwell is settled
MaxwellIA
A town of 844, settled in 1882.
Calamus Creek Bridge · Photo: KatelynFoster22 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
844
2025 Census estimate · −1.4% since 2020
Typical home
$331K
+3.4% in a year
Household income
$98K
median
Median age
34.1
years
Jobs based here
150
A commuter town
Is Maxwell a good place to live?
Of the 141 Iowa towns we compare, none has a higher average trip to work than Maxwell. Calamus Creek Bridge and William Kennison Wood House is on the National Register of Historic Places. Maxwell has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
844 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 Maxwell: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Maxwell, and how to reach them.
PowerMidAmerican Energy11.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterMaxwell Water DepartmentNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Maxwell’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 code5016150161 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 Maxwell.
Housing
In Maxwell, the median rent runs lower than in the typical Iowa or U.S. town
Maxwell’s median rent is $650 a month, below both the Iowa town median ($911 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). 88% of households own their home in Maxwell. The typical Maxwell home is worth about $331,000, up 3.4% in a year, 40% above the Iowa typical home.
$331KZillow home value
| Maxwell | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 88% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $650 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Maxwell$331K
Iowa$237K
+3.4%
value change, 1 year
4
homes sold in April
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Schools
The schools Maxwell’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Collins-Maxwell Community School District. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collins-Maxwell Middle/High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 190 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts
Work & commute
Maxwell has 0.4 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Maxwell for work: only 3% work in town. 4.1% of Maxwell residents live below the poverty line, where Iowa’s towns sit at 11% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Maxwell’s median household income is $98,000.
3%work in town
| Maxwell | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 2.6% | 31% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 4.1% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $98,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Maxwell3%
Ames22%
Des Moines12%
Nevada9%
Ankeny7%
17 mi
median commute distance
150
jobs based in Maxwell
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Maxwell
Maxwell 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°
Summer62–83°
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
Health
How healthy Maxwell is
Maxwell beats the Iowa average on 6 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 24% of Maxwell adults binge drink.
| Maxwell | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 20% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 32% | 36% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 9.3% | 12% | 12% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
6 better25 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Maxwell | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.9% | 11.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.3% | 12% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 73.8% | 77.8% |
Story County Hospital
8.1 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Who lives here
Younger than Iowa overall
People 65 and older are 14% of residents (18% statewide). The median age in Maxwell is 34.1 years. 29% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 31% across Iowa.
34.1median age · IA 38.6
| Maxwell | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 34.1 years | 38.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 14% | 19% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 25% | 23% | 22% |
MaxwellIowaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
19%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma3%
High school34%
Some college17%
Associate’s17%
Bachelor’s22%
Graduate7%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±1.7 points. Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Maxwell | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.4% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.2% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 19.4% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.3% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.4% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.7% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.7% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4.9% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.4% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 33.8% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 17.3% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 16.6% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.5% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.4% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 800, single groups can be off by several points
2.9%conserved
| Maxwell | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.9% | 3.1% | 4.3% |
2.9%
conserved · 20 of 696 acres
0.3 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Maxwell City Park | 0.2 mi | 14 |
| 2. Legion Park | 0.1 mi | 10 |
| 3. Heart of Iowa Nature Trail | — | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazards
Maxwell faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 52% of U.S. communities. Since 1993, 12 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Maxwell.
48risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingDroughtTornadoes
12
paid flood claims since 1993
7
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Nearby attractions
All 19 attractions →Casey's Center and 15 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Maxwell. Close and well known come first.
24 mi Stadium & arenaCasey's Center17 mi Theme parkAdventureland
23 mi MuseumIowa State Capitol
15 mi Stadium & arenaHilton Coliseum
26 mi MuseumDes Moines Art Center
24 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 Maxwell
19pages on Maxwell
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Maxwell; the nearest are
Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological SeminaryUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Ankeny15.9 mi$20,270 tuitionIowa State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Ames16 mi$10,787 in-state tuitionDes Moines Area Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Ankeny16.9 mi$5,790 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Maxwell residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Maxwell for work
Where Maxwell’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
150jobs based in Maxwell
3%of working residents work in town
17 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Famous people from Maxwell
3 notable people were born in Maxwell.
About Maxwell
City in Iowa, United States
Maxwell is a city in Story County, Iowa, United States. The population was 859 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
- 1.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 883 ft
- ZIP code
- 50161
Questions about Maxwell
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Maxwell, IA a good place to live?
Maxwell has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What is Maxwell, IA known for?
3 notable people were born here, including Clyde Southwick and Roy Cheville.