Maxwell is a city in Polk County, Iowa, home to about 905 people across 1.1 square miles. Its ZIP code is 50161.
Homes sold for a median of $135 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Maxwell. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Maxwell’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Des Moines International Airport (DSM)28 miles away |
|---|---|
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Omaha, NE144 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL294 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Maxwell; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Maxwell had 859 residents in the 2020 census, up 6% since 2000.
It’s the 317th largest of 1,019 towns in Iowa by population.
Polk County grew from 82,624 residents in 1900 to 492,401 in 2020.
Polk County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 83°F in summer, and winter lows average 10°F. About 36.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 31 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Colo, IA weather station (9 miles away).
295,413 jobs at 13,890 businesses in Polk County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
Nearest hospitals
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances.
Parks (2 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums (2 nearby)
Counts are within about 1 mile of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Public schools here are run by Collins-Maxwell Comm School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collins-Maxwell Middle/High SchoolMaxwell | 6–12 | 190 | Public | 0.4 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.