City · Iowa
Dexter, Iowa
Dexter, city, in Dallas County, Iowa. Dexter had 641 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 0.2% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 640 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 620 (±139). GEOID 1921225.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
641
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 640 · ACS 2020-2024: 620 ±139
Median household income
$87,250
±$19,477 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$163,500
±$23,088 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
$845
±$148 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972
Where is Dexter and what county is it in?
Dexter is a city in Dallas County, Iowa. It covers 1.3 square miles of land, 511 residents per square mile in 2020.
Dexter 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 Dexter, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 641 people lived in Dexter on July 1, 2025, up 0.2% since 2020, slower than Iowa (+1.5%). The 2020 Census counted 640 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 620 (±139).
| Measure | Dexter | Dallas County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 620 ±139 | 107,968 | no clear change |
| Households | 233 ±38 | 42,471 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.66 ±0.42 | 2.53 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 255 ±47 | 44,804 | no clear change |
Dexter's population since 2000
From 689 in 2000 to 641 in 2025: down 7.0%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Dexter 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 Dexter?
The median resident of Dexter is 38.7 years old; 26.8% are under 18 and 16.5% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 95.3%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 3.5%.
| Measure | Dexter | Dallas County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 38.7 ±5.7 | 36.1 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 26.8% ±7.4 pts | 26.6% | – |
| 65 years and over | 16.5% ±6.8 pts | 12.9% | – |
| Male | 48.4% ±4.0 pts | 49.8% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3.5% ±4.0 pts | 6.9% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 95.3% ±4.2 pts | 80.9% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.9 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.9 pts | 4.9% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.9 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.0% ±1.1 pts | 3.9% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.9 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±3.9 pts | 10.4% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.4% ±0.6 pts | 13.2% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 10.1% ±4.0 pts | 5.5% | – |
| With a disability | 11.1% ±4.0 pts | 7.7% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 1.8% ±1.5 pts | 3.9% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 98.6% ±1.4 pts | 95.4% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 18.4% ±6.6 pts | 51.5% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 3.6% ±2.3 pts | 17.7% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 94.3% ±3.8 pts | 86.0% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±4.0 pts | 2.6% | – |
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 Dexter earn?
Half of Dexter's 233 households earn less than $87,250 a year (±$19,477), against $102,379 in Dallas County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 it was $68,248 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Dexter | Dallas County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $87,250 ±$19,477 | $102,379 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $98,515 ±$15,476 | $137,324 | – |
| Per capita income | $38,983 ±$6,744 | $54,385 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 5.8% ±4.1 pts | 6.3% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 5.4% ±8.7 pts | 6.6% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 5.6% ±4.3 pts | 5.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 92.7% ±3.7 pts | 97.8% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 87.6% ±5.8 pts | 92.4% | – |
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 Dexter?
Owners occupy 82.4% of Dexter's occupied homes and renters 17.6%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $163,500 by its owner (±$23,088). The median renter pays $845 a month including utilities, and 55.6% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Dexter | Dallas County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $163,500 ±$23,088 | $355,600 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $845 ±$148 | $1,311 | – |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 55.6% ±27.5 pts | 29.1% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,425 ±$163 | $2,160 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 82.4% ±7.5 pts | 69.0% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 17.6% ±7.5 pts | 31.0% | – |
| Housing units | 255 ±47 | 44,804 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 4.0% ±5.8 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±40.6 pts | 6.7% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 93.3% ±5.3 pts | 62.2% | – |
| Mobile homes | 2.0% ±2.4 pts | 2.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.8% ±1.3 pts | 7.9% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 6.3% ±4.6 pts | 32.4% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 49.4% ±9.1 pts | 9.1% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 0.4% ±1.3 pts | 2.9% | – |
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 Dexter building?
Builders took permits for 10 new housing units in Dexter in 2025 (0 in single-family houses), 15.6 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 Dexter work and get to work?
71.9% of Dexter's workers drive alone and 12.2% work from home. The average trip to work takes 31.3 minutes.
| Measure | Dexter | Dallas County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 73.3% ±6.6 pts | 74.5% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% ±3.9 pts | 2.3% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 71.9% ±8.7 pts | 70.4% | – |
| Carpooled | 11.3% ±6.9 pts | 6.3% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±7.2 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 1.5% ±1.8 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Worked from home | 12.2% ±5.9 pts | 20.2% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 31.3 min ±5.2 | 21.2 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 Dexter?
No census tract lies mostly in Dexter; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 506Dallas County | 3,343 | $96,875 |
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 Dexter) · Census block assignment files
How does Dexter compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Dexter is the 12,201st-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 389th-most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Dexter 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 | 389th | 939 |
Dexter's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Dexter 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 Dexter?
23 of the 57 figures for Dexter 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 Dexter 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 Dexter.