City · Iowa
Colfax, Iowa
Colfax, city, in Jasper County, Iowa. Colfax had 2,303 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 2.0% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 2,255 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 2,210 (±302). GEOID 1915060.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
2,303
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 2,255 · ACS 2020-2024: 2,210 ±302
Median household income
$79,318
±$14,017 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$178,000
±$25,908 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
$789
±$163 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972
Where is Colfax and what county is it in?
Colfax is a city in Jasper County, Iowa. It covers 2.6 square miles of land, 881 residents per square mile in 2020.
Colfax 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 Colfax, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 2,303 people lived in Colfax on July 1, 2025, up 2.0% since 2020, faster than Iowa (+1.5%). The 2020 Census counted 2,255 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 2,210 (±302).
| Measure | Colfax | Jasper County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 2,210 ±302 | 37,954 | +371 |
| Households | 846 ±108 | 15,010 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.54 ±0.23 | 2.40 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 911 ±107 | 16,249 | no clear change |
Colfax's population since 2000
From 2,223 in 2000 to 2,303 in 2025: up 3.6%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Colfax 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 Colfax?
The median resident of Colfax is 33.1 years old; 29.4% are under 18 and 15.9% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 93.2%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 2.4%.
| Measure | Colfax | Jasper County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 33.1 ±5.1 | 41.3 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 29.4% ±5.2 pts | 22.0% | – |
| 65 years and over | 15.9% ±4.2 pts | 19.8% | – |
| Male | 54.0% ±4.4 pts | 52.4% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.4% ±2.2 pts | 3.1% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 93.2% ±3.4 pts | 90.8% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.0% ±1.2 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.1% ±1.1 pts | 0.7% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.1 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.1 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.3% ±1.8 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.1 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 2.4% ±2.3 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 2.3% ±1.8 pts | 5.1% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 9.0% ±3.4 pts | 7.7% | – |
| With a disability | 14.8% ±3.6 pts | 14.0% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 3.6% ±2.6 pts | 4.5% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 95.4% ±2.7 pts | 94.0% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 22.2% ±6.4 pts | 20.0% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 6.7% ±3.9 pts | 6.5% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 84.2% ±6.3 pts | 88.4% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.0% ±1.7 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 Colfax earn?
Half of Colfax's 846 households earn less than $79,318 a year (±$14,017), against $71,311 in Jasper County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 it was $70,198 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 9.1% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Colfax | Jasper County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $79,318 ±$14,017 | $71,311 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $93,512 ±$13,796 | $95,279 | – |
| Per capita income | $36,825 ±$5,934 | $39,394 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 9.1% ±3.6 pts | 8.3% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 8.1% ±8.0 pts | 10.8% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 18.0% ±7.4 pts | 7.4% | – |
| Households with a computer | 96.5% ±2.9 pts | 94.1% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 88.4% ±6.2 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 Colfax?
Owners occupy 69.0% of Colfax's occupied homes and renters 31.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $178,000 by its owner (±$25,908). The median renter pays $789 a month including utilities, and 36.9% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Colfax | Jasper County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $178,000 ±$25,908 | $186,300 | +$51,731 |
| Median gross rent | $789 ±$163 | $836 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 36.9% ±21.9 pts | 33.8% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,333 ±$88 | $1,402 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 69.0% ±7.1 pts | 72.3% | −10.1 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 31.0% ±7.1 pts | 27.7% | – |
| Housing units | 911 ±107 | 16,249 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±4.1 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±9.1 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 70.4% ±7.5 pts | 77.1% | – |
| Mobile homes | 3.5% ±2.6 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.7% ±1.0 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 1.4% ±1.2 pts | 4.1% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 44.3% ±7.7 pts | 26.8% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 7.0% ±6.0 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 many new homes is Colfax building?
Builders took permits for 1 new housing units in Colfax in 2025 (1 in single-family houses), 0.4 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 Colfax work and get to work?
78.1% of Colfax's workers drive alone and 7.9% work from home. The average trip to work takes 19.8 minutes.
| Measure | Colfax | Jasper County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 65.7% ±5.2 pts | 62.1% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% ±3.4 pts | 5.7% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 78.1% ±7.1 pts | 78.0% | – |
| Carpooled | 7.3% ±4.4 pts | 8.1% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±2.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 3.1% ±3.4 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Worked from home | 7.9% ±4.1 pts | 10.6% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 19.8 min ±2.2 | 23.3 min | −8.1 min |
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 Colfax?
No census tract lies mostly in Colfax; 2 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
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 Colfax) · Census block assignment files
How does Colfax compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Colfax is the 7,176th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 150th-most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Colfax ranks 91st of 279 places in Iowa with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 150th | 939 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 73rd | 275 |
| Residents per square mile | 191st | 279 |
| Median household income | 91st | 279 |
| Per capita income | 146th | 279 |
| Median home value | 121st | 279 |
| Median gross rent | 173rd | 266 |
| Poverty rate | 139th | 232 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 168th | 279 |
| Median age | 255th | 279 |
| Owner-occupied share | 191st | 279 |
| Work from home | 134th | 221 |
| Travel time to work | 144th | 279 |
Colfax's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Colfax 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 Colfax?
21 of the 57 figures for Colfax 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 Colfax 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 Colfax.