City · Iowa
Baxter, Iowa
Baxter, city, in Jasper County, Iowa. Baxter had 984 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 1.5% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 962 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,247 (±229). GEOID 1904915.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
984
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 962 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,247 ±229
Median household income
$60,952
±$9,614 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$166,700
±$10,490 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
$900
±$206 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972
Where is Baxter and what county is it in?
Baxter is a city in Jasper County, Iowa. It covers 0.7 square miles of land, 1,471 residents per square mile in 2020.
Baxter is in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 6 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Baxter, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 984 people lived in Baxter on July 1, 2025, up 1.5% since 2020, in line with Iowa (+1.5%). The 2020 Census counted 962 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,247 (±229).
| Measure | Baxter | Jasper County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,247 ±229 | 37,954 | no clear change |
| Households | 476 ±79 | 15,010 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.56 ±0.32 | 2.40 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 507 ±83 | 16,249 | no clear change |
Baxter's population since 2000
From 1,052 in 2000 to 984 in 2025: down 6.5%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Baxter as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Baxter?
The median resident of Baxter is 33.9 years old; 30.6% are under 18 and 20.0% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 99.4%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 0.4%.
| Measure | Baxter | Jasper County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 33.9 ±4.9 | 41.3 | −9.5 |
| Under 18 years | 30.6% ±6.3 pts | 22.0% | – |
| 65 years and over | 20.0% ±5.4 pts | 19.8% | – |
| Male | 49.6% ±5.5 pts | 52.4% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.2% ±0.3 pts | 3.1% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 99.4% ±0.6 pts | 90.8% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.0 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.0 pts | 0.7% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.0 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.0 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.5 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.0 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.4% ±0.7 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.3% ±1.7 pts | 5.1% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 8.1% ±3.4 pts | 7.7% | – |
| With a disability | 9.6% ±4.3 pts | 14.0% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 2.7% ±2.2 pts | 4.5% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 92.0% ±5.1 pts | 94.0% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 17.6% ±5.6 pts | 20.0% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 6.5% ±3.2 pts | 6.5% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 91.7% ±5.2 pts | 88.4% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±2.0 pts | 1.0% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Baxter earn?
Half of Baxter's 476 households earn less than $60,952 a year (±$9,614), against $71,311 in Jasper County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 it was $72,951 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Baxter | Jasper County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $60,952 ±$9,614 | $71,311 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $78,214 ±$12,156 | $95,279 | – |
| Per capita income | $30,929 ±$5,107 | $39,394 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 14.7% ±12.0 pts | 8.3% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 27.8% ±24.0 pts | 10.8% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 8.2% ±5.5 pts | 7.4% | – |
| Households with a computer | 85.1% ±8.1 pts | 94.1% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 81.1% ±9.2 pts | 90.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Baxter?
Owners occupy 74.4% of Baxter's occupied homes and renters 25.6%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $166,700 by its owner (±$10,490). The median renter pays $900 a month including utilities, and 62.6% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Baxter | Jasper County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $166,700 ±$10,490 | $186,300 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $900 ±$206 | $836 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 62.6% ±24.1 pts | 33.8% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,509 ±$184 | $1,402 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 74.4% ±9.5 pts | 72.3% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 25.6% ±9.5 pts | 27.7% | – |
| Housing units | 507 ±83 | 16,249 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±6.8 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±18.4 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 80.7% ±8.3 pts | 77.1% | – |
| Mobile homes | 1.0% ±1.4 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.4% ±0.8 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 2.6% ±1.9 pts | 4.1% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 30.2% ±7.4 pts | 26.8% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 4.2% ±3.1 pts | 4.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Baxter work and get to work?
83.9% of Baxter's workers drive alone and 6.9% work from home. The average trip to work takes 26.9 minutes.
| Measure | Baxter | Jasper County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 64.3% ±7.4 pts | 62.1% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 2.4% ±2.9 pts | 5.7% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 83.9% ±5.4 pts | 78.0% | – |
| Carpooled | 5.1% ±3.2 pts | 8.1% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±4.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 3.2% ±2.6 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Worked from home | 6.9% ±4.2 pts | 10.6% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 26.9 min ±2.9 | 23.3 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Baxter?
No census tract lies mostly in Baxter; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 402Jasper County | 4,110 | $102,340 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Baxter) · Census block assignment files
How does Baxter compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Baxter is the 10,323rd-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 277th-most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Baxter is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 277th | 939 |
Baxter's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Baxter with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Baxter?
23 of the 57 figures for Baxter on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Baxter are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Baxter.