West Des Moines, IA vs Urbandale, IA

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

MetricWest Des Moines, IAUrbandale, IA
Population71,08346,595
Median Household Income$86,594$112,795
Median Rent$1,237/mo$1,211/mo
Median Home Value$309,000$335,500
Cost of Living (US = 100)9292
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income41.6%36.3%
Poverty Rate8.4%6.8%
Unemployment Rate3%3.3%
Violent Crime Rate /100k147122
Property Crime Rate /100k1,529524
Median AQI4444
Good AQI Days /yr224224
Summer Highs84°F83°F
Winter Lows17°F16°F
Snowfall37 in/yr38 in/yr
Avg Commute18.3 min18.9 min
Hospitals——
Avg Hospital Rating——
Students per Teacher15.314.6
College Degree Rate54.9%51.2%
Foreign-Born %10.9%9.8%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+8.0%+6.6%

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