What it's like to live in Urbandale
Urbandale is a small city in Iowa with rent below the national average, unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, and crime rates well below the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Urbandale 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
- Low unemployment
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Highly educated workforce
The not so good
- Air quality concerns
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 38" per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Urbandale compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Urbandale
Based on Urbandale's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,422
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $48,440 a year
- 36% of Urbandale renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$67,100
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $33,550
- Homes cost 3.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 14% below US
$1,211/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,211 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices run above average, with a median around $335,500. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $335,500 · 36% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 23% below US
3.3% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.3%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 63% below US
122 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 524/100k · Urbandale Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 27% below US
19 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 18.9 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 18% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 83°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 16°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 42% above US
51% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
8 public schools inside the boundary
There are 8 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Bottom line
Urbandale's strongest points are rent below the national average and unemployment below the national average; the main tradeoffs are air quality that falls short of national benchmarks and cold, harsh winters. A year of median rent ($1,211/mo) equals 13% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, job seekers, and anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
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