City · Iowa
Bayard, Iowa
Bayard, city, in Guthrie County, Iowa. Bayard had 401 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 1.2% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 405 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 398 (±109). GEOID 1904960.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
401
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 405 · ACS 2020-2024: 398 ±109
Median household income
$57,250
±$14,966 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$65,800
±$14,806 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
$894
±$81 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972
Where is Bayard and what county is it in?
Bayard is a city in Guthrie County, Iowa. It covers 0.4 square miles of land, 914 residents per square mile in 2020.
Bayard 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 Bayard, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 401 people lived in Bayard on July 1, 2025, down 1.2% since 2020, while Iowa grew 1.5%. The 2020 Census counted 405 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 398 (±109).
| Measure | Bayard | Guthrie County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 398 ±109 | 10,688 | no clear change |
| Households | 171 ±36 | 4,600 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.32 ±0.34 | 2.29 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 213 ±43 | 5,808 | no clear change |
Bayard's population since 2000
From 536 in 2000 to 401 in 2025: down 25.2%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Bayard 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 Bayard?
The median resident of Bayard is 40.7 years old; 25.4% are under 18 and 24.9% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 91.0%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 4.8%.
| Measure | Bayard | Guthrie County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 40.7 ±10.9 | 46.7 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 25.4% ±8.6 pts | 21.2% | – |
| 65 years and over | 24.9% ±8.3 pts | 24.2% | – |
| Male | 51.0% ±5.1 pts | 50.0% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.5% ±1.5 pts | 3.1% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 91.0% ±6.9 pts | 92.4% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 4.8% ±6.0 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.1 pts | 0.5% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.1 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.1 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.8% ±3.4 pts | 2.5% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.1 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.5% ±1.1 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 2.3% ±2.5 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 10.1% ±5.6 pts | 7.1% | – |
| With a disability | 21.4% ±8.1 pts | 12.4% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 1.5% ±2.0 pts | 3.1% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 95.2% ±3.6 pts | 95.9% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 5.9% ±3.5 pts | 25.0% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 0.7% ±1.2 pts | 8.0% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 89.1% ±7.7 pts | 92.5% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 4.8% ±6.0 pts | 1.2% | – |
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 Bayard earn?
Half of Bayard's 171 households earn less than $57,250 a year (±$14,966), against $77,711 in Guthrie County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 it was $50,847 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 26.7% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Bayard | Guthrie County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $57,250 ±$14,966 | $77,711 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $57,780 ±$8,494 | $100,744 | – |
| Per capita income | $25,141 ±$4,847 | $43,480 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 26.7% ±15.0 pts | 9.9% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 51.6% ±28.5 pts | 14.4% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 18.1% ±9.7 pts | 7.9% | – |
| Households with a computer | 89.5% ±8.1 pts | 94.7% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 85.4% ±8.1 pts | 89.3% | – |
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 Bayard?
Owners occupy 74.3% of Bayard's occupied homes and renters 25.7%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $65,800 by its owner (±$14,806). The median renter pays $894 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Bayard | Guthrie County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $65,800 ±$14,806 | $180,100 | +$16,203 |
| Median gross rent | $894 ±$81 | $845 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 29.4% ±26.7 pts | 34.0% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $850 ±$176 | $1,459 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 74.3% ±10.0 pts | 84.0% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 25.7% ±10.0 pts | 16.0% | – |
| Housing units | 213 ±43 | 5,808 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±17.2 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 20.0% ±21.3 pts | 7.4% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 86.9% ±6.6 pts | 91.6% | – |
| Mobile homes | 2.3% ±2.4 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±11.1 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.9% ±1.6 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 53.5% ±9.4 pts | 36.9% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 5.8% ±5.6 pts | 4.0% | – |
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 many new homes is Bayard building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Bayard in 2025 (0 in single-family houses), 0.0 per 1,000 residents against 4.2 across Iowa.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Bayard work and get to work?
81.5% of Bayard's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 38.7 minutes.
| Measure | Bayard | Guthrie County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 62.7% ±7.7 pts | 62.9% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 4.7% ±4.5 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 81.5% ±10.8 pts | 76.4% | – |
| Carpooled | 15.0% ±10.9 pts | 7.8% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±13.4 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 1.7% ±2.0 pts | 2.7% | – |
| Worked from home | 1.2% ±1.7 pts | 11.8% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 38.7 min ±17.7 | 27.1 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 Bayard?
No census tract lies mostly in Bayard; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9502Guthrie County | 2,123 | $74,314 |
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 Bayard) · Census block assignment files
How does Bayard compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Bayard is the 14,110th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 483rd-most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Bayard 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 | 483rd | 939 |
Bayard's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Bayard 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 Bayard?
24 of the 57 figures for Bayard 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 Bayard 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 Bayard.