Urbandale, IA vs Des Moines, IA

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

MetricUrbandale, IADes Moines, IA
Population46,595212,421
Median Household Income$112,795$65,932
Median Rent$1,211/mo$1,090/mo
Median Home Value$335,500$194,700
Cost of Living (US = 100)9292
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income36.3%46.6%
Poverty Rate6.8%15%
Unemployment Rate3.3%4.2%
Violent Crime Rate /100k122642
Property Crime Rate /100k5242,838
Median AQI4444
Good AQI Days /yr224224
Summer Highs83°F84°F
Winter Lows16°F17°F
Snowfall38 in/yr37 in/yr
Avg Commute18.9 min19.5 min
Hospitals—4
Avg Hospital Rating—2.8 / 5
Students per Teacher14.615.9
College Degree Rate51.2%29.7%
Foreign-Born %9.8%14.2%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+6.6%-0.9%

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