Waukee, IA vs West Des Moines, IA

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

MetricWaukee, IAWest Des Moines, IA
Population29,23671,083
Median Household Income$101,029$86,594
Median Rent$1,383/mo$1,237/mo
Median Home Value$350,500$309,000
Cost of Living (US = 100)9292
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income32.9%41.6%
Poverty Rate7.4%8.4%
Unemployment Rate2.9%3%
Violent Crime Rate /100k139147
Property Crime Rate /100k6211,529
Median AQI—44
Good AQI Days /yr—224
Summer Highs83°F84°F
Winter Lows16°F17°F
Snowfall38 in/yr37 in/yr
Avg Commute19.8 min18.3 min
Hospitals——
Avg Hospital Rating——
Students per Teacher16.715.3
College Degree Rate58%54.9%
Foreign-Born %14.2%10.9%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+45.7%+8.0%

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