What it's like to live in Pleasant Hill
Pleasant Hill is a small city in Iowa with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, county unemployment below the national average, and household incomes running above the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Pleasant Hill deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, cold, harsh winters, snowy winters, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment in the county
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
The not so good
- Air quality concerns
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 37" per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Pleasant Hill compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Pleasant Hill
Based on Pleasant Hill's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,430
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $48,600 a year
- 48% of Pleasant Hill renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$59,020
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $29,510
- Homes cost 3.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 14% below US
$1,215/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,215 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $295,100. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $295,100 · 48% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.7% county unemployment
Unemployment in Polk County is 3.7%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Polk County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 41% below US
214 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 634/100k · Pleasant Hill Police Department · 2024 data
Getting around▼ 15% below US
22 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 22.2 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 13% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 84°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 17°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforceNear US average
36% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 36% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
5 public schools inside the boundary
There are 5 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1, close to the national average of 16:1.
Bottom line
Pleasant Hill's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are air quality that falls short of national benchmarks and cold, harsh winters. A year of median rent ($1,215/mo) equals 16% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive and anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near Pleasant Hill
All Iowa guides →Moving to Altoona →
4 mi away · pop. 21,495
Rent $1,235/mo · Income $86,114
Compare with Pleasant Hill →Moving to Des Moines →
6 mi away · pop. 212,421
Rent $1,090/mo · Income $65,932
Compare with Pleasant Hill →Moving to Ankeny →
11 mi away · pop. 72,615
Rent $1,319/mo · Income $108,198
Compare with Pleasant Hill →Moving to Norwalk →
12 mi away · pop. 14,183
Rent $838/mo · Income $102,722
Compare with Pleasant Hill →Not sure Pleasant Hill is the one?
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