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DDexter Community House

DexterIA

A town of 620, settled in 1868. A deep archive of photos, postcards and papers.

Photo: Jim Roberts · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
620
+4.7% since 2010
Typical home
$251K
−3.2% in a year
Household income
$87K
median
Median age
38.7
years
Jobs based here
104
A commuter town

What makes Dexter stand out

The thing Dexter does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data
Small town

620 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns

Dexter’s report card

See the data ↓

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64°
Cloudy
H 73° · L 58°

Upcoming events

Nothing on the calendar.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Dexter. Another town gets a different order.

Work & commute

Most working residents commute out of Dexter

Most working residents leave Dexter for work: only 1% work in town. The top destinations are Des Moines (19%), West Des Moines (16%) and Adel (7%). Half commute less than 26 miles.

1%work in town

Where working residents work

In Dexter1%
Des Moines19%
West Des Moines16%
Adel7%
Urbandale5%
26 mi
median commute distance
104
jobs based in Dexter
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Climate

Four seasons, pleasant summers

Dexter has cold winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 26 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

26″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter15–34°
Spring38–61°
Summer62–83°
Fall40–63°
Oct 12
typical first frost
Apr 25
typical last frost
+0.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Schools

Dexter’s public schools outperform 62% of Iowa districts

The public schools Dexter’s kids attend outperform 62% of Iowa’s districts on state tests. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.

BSchool Grade
SchoolGradesStudentsGrade
Dexter Elementary School3–5186B−
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state testsAll 1 schools →
Natural hazards

Low risk, with inland flooding at the top

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 39% of U.S. communities.

39risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
39Low riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingTornadoesDrought
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Health

How healthy Dexter is

Dexter beats the Iowa average on 11 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0.

32 measures vs. Iowa
11 better21 too close to call0 worse
What stands outDexterIA
Fewer adults facing food insecurity8.3%12%
Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth8.3%11.6%
Madison County Health Care System
16.9 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Housing

A typical Dexter home is worth about $251K

The typical Dexter home is worth about $251,000, down 3.2% in a year, close to the Iowa typical home.

$251KZillow home value

Typical home value

Dexter$251K
Iowa$240K
−3.2%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Outdoors

0% of Dexter is conserved land

0.0 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves.

0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 795 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
Biggest places to walkTrailsAcres
1. Dexter City Park—3
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
A commuter town

99% of working residents leave Dexter for work

Where Dexter’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

19% → Des Moines Des Moines 19% 16% → West Des Moines West Des Moines 16% 7% → Adel Adel 7% 5% → Urbandale Urbandale 5% 3% → Johnston Johnston 3% 3% → Clive Clive 3% Dexter · 1% stay
104jobs based in Dexter
1%of working residents work in town
26 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

Dallas Center, Casey, DeSoto, Dexter, Ogden, Perry, Shell Rock and Adel, Iowa. (0018.158)
1875 · Dallas Center, Casey, DeSoto, Dexter, Ogden, Perry, Shell Rock and Adel, Iowa. (0018.158) · Wikimedia Commons
Dexter’s story

158 years in pictures

6 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 1 places on the National Register.

President Harry S. Truman and Herb Plambeck at the National Plowing MatchIAMap-doton-DexterInterstate 80 - Iowa
Explore the history →

Famous people from Dexter

3 notable people were born in Dexter.

See all 3 →

About Dexter

City in Iowa, United States

Dexter is a city in Dallas County, Iowa, United States. The population was 640 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established
1868
Population
640
Area
1.3 sq mi
Elevation
1,142 ft
ZIP code
50070

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Photo of Dexter

Dexter, IA · Photo: Jim Roberts · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source ↗