Are you sick of being a city slicker?
Do you long for life in suburban Iowa? Where you can drive an overly-large vehicle to the store for groceries and schlep the kids around to practices and appointments without worrying about a parking space.
We do, too.
If you wanted to move out to the suburbs of Des Moines, where would you go? And how would you decide on the ranking factors to help you pick which Iowa suburb was best?
No worries. We got it all figured out here using Saturday Night Science.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
These are the 10 best suburbs in the Hawkeye State
Huxley is the place to be when it comes to being a soccer mom in suburban Iowa.
So if you’re thinking of packing up your mini van and making a move to a quiet place to live in Iowa, we’ve got you covered.
Keep on reading for a detailed methodology. Or, check out the best places to live in Iowa and the best places to raise a family in Iowa.
Best Suburbs In Iowa For 2024
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Huxley is located 22 miles north of Des Moines.
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Population: 23,856
Median Income: $98,324
Average Home Price: $374,570
More on Johnston: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Johnston is located 9 miles north of Des Moines.
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Population: 45,591
Median Income: $111,888
Average Home Price: $326,786
More on Urbandale: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Urbandale is located 9 miles west of Des Moines.
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Population: 18,576
Median Income: $124,908
Average Home Price: $397,338
More on Clive: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Clive is located 10 miles west of Des Moines.
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Population: 13,057
Median Income: $94,176
Average Home Price: $318,235
More on Norwalk: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Norwalk is located 7 miles west of Des Moines.
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Population: 68,392
Median Income: $101,151
Average Home Price: $323,344
More on Ankeny: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Ankeny is located 10 miles north of Des Moines.
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Population: 25,045
Median Income: $106,846
Average Home Price: $337,040
More on Waukee: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Waukee is located 13 miles west of Des Moines.
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Windsor Heights is located 5 miles west of Des Moines.
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Adel is located 20 miles west of Des Moines.
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Population: 68,744
Median Income: $82,345
Average Home Price: $294,330
More on West Des Moines: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
West Des Moines is located 8 miles west of Des Moines.
Methodology:How we crunched the suburb numbers for the Hawkeye State
We have to use Saturday Night Science and look at several metrics to give you the best suburbs in Iowa. We want to measure the type of place around major cities that people arguing at a bar would say makes it the “best suburb.”
First, we had to define a suburb. Using U.S. Census data produced for the state of Iowa, we looked at every town with at least 2,000 residents, and within 30 miles of a city that’s over 200,000 people.
In other words, suburbs.
We paid particular attention to the following criteria:
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Population Density (Higher is Better)
- Unemployment Rates
- Commute Time
- Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We ranked each suburb in Iowa across these criteria from one to 25, with one being the best.
We then took the average rank across all criteria, with the town posting the lowest overall score being crowned the winner of the title “Best Suburb To Live In Iowa.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and ideal places to live in Iowa.
Read on to see why Huxley is the ‘burb with the most, while Carter Lake is probably not the best place to live in Iowa.
Summary: There You Have It – The Best Suburbs In Iowa
If you’re measuring the locations in Iowa where there are lots to do, and everyone wants to live, this is an accurate list.
The best suburbs in Iowa are Huxley, Johnston, Urbandale, Clive, Norwalk, Ankeny, Waukee, Windsor Heights, Adel, and West Des Moines.
Here’s a look at the worst suburbs in Iowa according to the data:
- Carter Lake
- Council Bluffs
- Newton
For more Iowa reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Iowa
- Cheapest Places To Live In Iowa
- Most Dangerous Cities In Iowa
- Richest Cities In Iowa
- Safest Places In Iowa
- Worst Places To Live In Iowa
- Most Expensive Places To Live In Iowa
The Best Suburbs In Iowa
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Huxley | 4,331 | $120,868 | $321,023 |
| 2 | Johnston | 23,856 | $98,324 | $374,570 |
| 3 | Urbandale | 45,591 | $111,888 | $326,786 |
| 4 | Clive | 18,576 | $124,908 | $397,338 |
| 5 | Norwalk | 13,057 | $94,176 | $318,235 |
| 6 | Ankeny | 68,392 | $101,151 | $323,344 |
| 7 | Waukee | 25,045 | $106,846 | $337,040 |
| 8 | Windsor Heights | 5,200 | $85,055 | $264,202 |
| 9 | Adel | 6,090 | $91,891 | $389,668 |
| 10 | West Des Moines | 68,744 | $82,345 | $294,330 |
| 11 | Altoona | 20,017 | $89,100 | $300,143 |
| 12 | Bondurant | 7,617 | $120,588 | $319,817 |
| 13 | Winterset | 5,366 | $71,411 | $258,592 |
| 14 | Grimes | 15,402 | $99,896 | $330,335 |
| 15 | Carlisle | 4,116 | $94,214 | $262,569 |
| 16 | Glenwood | 5,128 | $65,833 | $288,271 |
| 17 | Colfax | 2,186 | $81,076 | $165,992 |
| 18 | Madrid | 2,784 | $74,375 | $251,692 |
| 19 | Indianola | 15,845 | $73,534 | $279,064 |
| 20 | Mitchellville | 2,506 | $75,278 | $242,697 |
| 21 | Pleasant Hill | 10,456 | $81,992 | $289,143 |
| 22 | Missouri Valley | 2,692 | $61,480 | $206,369 |
| 23 | Newton | 15,692 | $53,873 | $161,059 |
| 24 | Council Bluffs | 62,670 | $61,181 | $196,527 |
| 25 | Carter Lake | 3,780 | $64,479 | $171,801 |