West Des Moines, IA vs Norwalk, IA

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

MetricWest Des Moines, IANorwalk, IA
Population71,08314,183
Median Household Income$86,594$102,722
Median Rent$1,237/mo$838/mo
Median Home Value$309,000$303,100
Cost of Living (US = 100)9292
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income41.6%34.8%
Poverty Rate8.4%4.2%
Unemployment Rate3%3.2% (county)
Violent Crime Rate /100k14750
Property Crime Rate /100k1,529286
Median AQI44—
Good AQI Days /yr224—
Summer Highs84°F84°F
Winter Lows17°F17°F
Snowfall37 in/yr37 in/yr
Avg Commute18.3 min21.6 min
Hospitals——
Avg Hospital Rating——
Students per Teacher15.315.8
College Degree Rate54.9%38.8%
Foreign-Born %10.9%1.4%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+8.0%+17.2%

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