Norwalk, IA vs West Des Moines, IA

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricNorwalk, IAWest Des Moines, IA
Population14,18371,083
Median Household Income$102,722$86,594
Median Rent$838/mo$1,237/mo
Median Home Value$303,100$309,000
Cost of Living (US = 100)9292
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income34.8%41.6%
Poverty Rate4.2%8.4%
Unemployment Rate3.2% (county)3%
Violent Crime Rate /100k50147
Property Crime Rate /100k2861,529
Median AQI—44
Good AQI Days /yr—224
Summer Highs84°F84°F
Winter Lows17°F17°F
Snowfall37 in/yr37 in/yr
Avg Commute21.6 min18.3 min
Hospitals——
Avg Hospital Rating——
Students per Teacher15.815.3
College Degree Rate38.8%54.9%
Foreign-Born %1.4%10.9%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+17.2%+8.0%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.