Baxter

Baxter is conveniently located near Des Moines, Ames, and Marshalltown. This creates the perfect opportunity for small town living with a quick commute for work. While many residents do commute to larger cities, businesses moving to Baxter will find that many would prefer to work near home.

Baxter has a strong K-12 school system, along with the Baxter Early Learning Center daycare.

Amenities

Baxter is an ideal spot for those who love the outdoors. Located at the head of the Chichaqua Valley Trail, it’s easy for residents to ride a bike, take a stroll, and enjoy the scenery. Residents also enjoy the Baxter Children’s Park, Sports Complex Playground, School Playground and Geise Park, in addition to the FREE fitness center.

Businesses

The community is growing and actively recruiting new businesses through the Baxter Economic Development Corporation (BEDCO). BEDCO is guided by community volunteers committed to the future growth of business, industry, and housing in Baxter. Along with the Mayor and City Council, this group has completed many successful projects since its formation in 1988.

For more information about the City of Baxter, click here.

Population

Population	2000	2010	2026	2031
Baxter	1,054	1,101	953	942

Source: ESRI, 2026-08-31

Population by Age

Population	2026
0-4	56
5-9	50
10-14	84
15-19	65
20-24	55
25-29	69
30-34	48
35-39	46
40-44	58
45-49	57
50-54	57
55-59	47
60-64	48
65-69	93
70-74	39
75-79	44
80-84	22
85+	15
18+	721
Median Age	40

Source: ESRI, 2026-08-31

Population by Race

Baxter	2026
Total	953.00
White Alone	97.8%
Black Alone	0%
American Indian Alone	0.21%
Asian Alone	0.31%
Pacific Islander Alone	0%
Some Other Race	0%
Two or More Races	1.68%
Hispanic Origin	0.84%
Diversity Index	5.90

Source: ESRI, 2026-08-31

Growth Rate

Baxter	2026 - 2031
Population	-0.23%
Households	-0.30%
Families	-0.36%
Median Household Income	4%
Per Capita Income	3%

Source: ESRI, 2026-08-31

Housing

Households

Population	2000	2010	2026	2031
Households	439	427	397	391
Housing Units	456	446	425	425
Owner Occupied Units			311	309
Renter Occupied Units			86	82
Vacant Units			28	34

Source: ESRI, 2026-08-31

Home Value

Baxter	2026	2031
Median Home Value	$187,202	$299,242
Average Home Value	$238,111	$313,188
<$50,000	1	0
$50,000 - $99,999	17	6
$100,000 - $149,999	59	16
$150,000 - $199,999	100	60
$200,000 - $249,999	37	40
$250,000 - $299,999	24	33
$300,000 - $399,999	33	58
$400,000 - $499,999	31	84
$500,000 - $749,999	7	12
$1,000,000 +	0	0

Source: ESRI, 2026-08-31

Housing Year Built

Year Range	Houses Built
2010 or Later	13
2000-2009	34
1990-1999	19
1980-1989	36
1970-1979	142
1960-1969	58
1950-1959	43
1940-1949	7
1939 or Before	153

Source: ESRI, 2026-08-31

Income

Baxter	2026	2031
Median Household	$68,948	$82,275
Average Household	$101,072	$119,108
Per Capita	$42,105	$49,439

Source: ESRI, 2026-08-31

Household Income

Baxter	2026
<$15,000	20
$15,000 - $24,999	38
$25,000 - $34,999	47
$35,000 - $49,999	27
$50,000 - $74,999	80
$75,000 - $99,999	58
$100,000 - $149,999	53
$150,000 - $199,999	24
$200,000+	50

Source: ESRI, 2026-08-31

Employees

Commute

Category	Commuters
Workers 16+	566
In-County Residents	279
Out-of-County Residents	287
Drive Alone	475
Carpooled	29
Public Transport	0
Work at Home	39
Motorcycle	0
Bicycle	2
Walked	18
Other	3
Less than 5 minutes	53
5-9 minutes	69
10-14 minutes	16
15-19 minutes	3
20-24 minutes	49
25-29 minutes	43
30-34 minutes	72
35-39 minutes	105
40-44 minutes	27
45-59 minutes	82
60-89 minutes	4
90+ minutes	4
Average Travel Time	0

Source: ESRI, 2026-08-31

Employees by NAICS

Category	Number
Total Employees	291
Agr/Forestry/Fish/Hunt	0
Mining	0
Utilities	8
Construction	12
Manufacturing	3
Wholesale Trade	2

Retail Trade	73
Motor Veh/Parts Dealers	0
Furn & Home Furnish Str	0
Electronics & Appl Store	0
Bldg Matl/Garden Equip	0
Food & Beverage Stores	60
Health/Pers Care Stores	0
Gasoline Stations	10
Clothing/Accessory Store	0
Sports/Hobby/Book/Music	0
General Merchandise Str	3

Transportation/Warehouse	2
Information	2

Finance & Insurance	14
Cntrl Bank/Crdt Intrmdtn	11
Sec/Cmdty Cntrct/Oth Inv	2
Insur/Funds/Trusts/Other	1

Real Estate/Rent/Leasing	9
Prof/Scientific/Tech Srv	24
Legal Services	1
Mgmt of Comp/Enterprises	0
Admin/Support/Waste Mgmt	0
Educational Services	78
HealthCare/Social Assist	20
Arts/Entertainment/Rec	0

Accommodation/Food Srvcs	3
Accommodation	0
Food Srv/Drinking Places	3

Other Srv excl Pub Admin	34
Auto Repair/Maintenance	19
Public Administration Emp	7

Source: ESRI, 2026-08-31

Educational Attainment (25+)

Baxter	2026
<9th Grade	29
Some High School	3
GED	25
Graduated High School	153
Some College/No Degree	159
Associates Degree	126
Bachelor's Degree	100
Graduate Degree	48

Source: ESRI, 2026-08-31

Businesses

Businesses by NAICS

Category	Number
Total Businesses	38
Agr/Forestry/Fish/Hunt Bus	0
Mining Bus	0
Utilities Bus	1
Construction Bus	2
Manufacturing Bus	1
Wholesale Trade Bus	1

Retail Trade Bus	3
Motor Veh/Parts Dealers Bus	0
Furn & Home Furnish Str Bus	0
Electronics & Appl Store Bus	0
Bldg Matl/Garden Equip Bus	0
Food & Beverage Stores Bus	1
Health/Pers Care Stores Bus	0
Gasoline Stations Bus	1
Clothing/Accessory Store Bus	0
Sports/Hobby/Book/Music Bus	0
General Merchandise Str Bus	1

Transportation/Warehouse Bus	1
Information Bus	1

Finance & Insurance Bus	3
Cntrl Bank/Crdt Intrmdtn Bus	1
Sec/Cmdty Cntrct/Oth Inv Bus	1
Insur/Funds/Trusts/Other Bus	1

Real Estate/Rent/Leasing Bus	5
Prof/Scientific/Tech Srv Bus	5
Legal Services Bus	1
Mgmt of Comp/Enterprises Bus	0
Admin/Support/Waste Mgmt Bus	0
Educational Services Bus	2
HealthCare/Social Assist Bus	1
Arts/Entertainment/Rec Bus	0

Accommodation/Food Srvcs Bus	1
Accommodation Bus	0
Food Srv/Drinking Places Bus	1

Other Srv excl Pub Admin Bus	8
Auto Repair/Maintenance Bus	2
Public Administration Bus	2

Source: ESRI, 2026-08-31