Drake
- Neighborhood in Des Moines, IA
Neighborhood
Drake
- grade A minusOverall Grade
- Rating 3.15 out of 5 26 reviews
Report Card
- Public Schoolsgrade C+
- Crime & Safetygrade unavailable
- Housinggrade C+
- Nightlifegrade A+
- Good for Familiesgrade B+
- Diversitygrade A
- Jobsgrade B
- Weathergrade B minus
- Cost of Livinggrade B
- Health & Fitnessgrade B+
- Outdoor Activitiesgrade B minus
- Commutegrade A
editorial
About
Real Estate
Median Home Value
$165,583
National
$244,900Median Rent
$920
National
$1,163Area Feel
Urban Suburban Mix
Sponsored Mortgage Options for Drake
Get Rates
- Find a loan that's right for you. Compare today's top mortgage and refinancing providers.
- Get approval in minutes. Checking rates won't affect your credit score.
Niche may be compensated by the third party lenders and others who place ads on the website. Niche is not a lender and does not endorse the products of these advertisers. Fees that Niche receives for ads do not affect the terms you may be offered by the lender you choose. There are many additional borrowing options available.
Map
Map
Home Listings
Drake Rankings
Niche ranks thousands of neighborhoods based on key statistics from the U.S. Census and expert insights.
Crime & Safety
Crime & Safety
grade unavailable
Based on violent and property crime rates.
Violent Crimes
- Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
- AssaultNo data availablenational 282.7
- MurderNo data availablenational 6.1
- RapeNo data availablenational 40.7
- RobberyNo data availablenational 135.5
Property Crimes
- Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
- BurglaryNo data availablenational 500.1
- TheftNo data availablenational 2,042.8
- Motor Vehicle TheftNo data availablenational 284
Residents
Diversity
grade A
Based on ethnic and economic diversity.
Median Household Income
$46,716
National
$69,021Families with Children
25%
Top Private Schools Near Drake
- grade A
Dowling Catholic High School
- Rating 4.22 out of 5 250 reviews
- grade A minus
Grand View Christian School
- Rating 4.22 out of 5 36 reviews
- grade B+
Des Moines Christian School
- Rating 4 out of 5 88 reviews
- grade B+
Ankeny Christian Academy
- Rating 3.84 out of 5 19 reviews
- grade unavailable
St. Francis of Assisi School
Similar Places
Places like Drake
Drake Reviews
Rating 3.15 out of 5 26 reviews
We live in the "good part" of the Drake neighborhood, 2 blocks from the Waveland neighborhood, and honestly I lie and tell people we live in Waveland to avoid the judgement of others. My part of Drake is mostly 30ish + professionals who own their homes and the houses are well maintained. The area around me is nice, I feel safe at night, and there are always folks out jogging/walking dogs etc. But, when we go on walks we NEVER go more than a few blocks east, it gets sketchy the closer you get to Drake Uni. We don't have children yet, but we wouldn't send the public schools, they'll go to Dowling Catholic. Des Moines as a whole is nice, plenty of festivals in the summer, bars/restaurants downtown or in West Glen. There is easy access to thevfreeway, so downtown and the western suburbs are only a few mins away. Overall, unless you live in the W/SW part of the neighborhood I would avoid the Drake area, too much petty crime/shootings near campus attracted by the wealthy student body.
Drake is a very diverse neighborhood to live in. It houses Drake University and the surrounding area. It has a "reputation" of being unsafe. There may be some instances of uncomfortability, like homeless men going walking through your property to sift through the recycling for 5 or 10 cent return cans, drunk people walking on the streets at night, and the desperate asking for money outside Walgreens from time to time. This neighborhood is made for apartments and a lot of people live in the large houses in this neighborhood. It's extremely affordable and home owners are in the process of refurbishment - much of which has already been done. I personally enjoy the Drake neighborhood due to it's diversity, affordability, and location. In my opinion, Drake is one of the best places to live if you want to be 5 minutes away from downtown, 1-2 minutes from I-235, and a short walk from all the public events and opportunities that come from the university.
Des Moines is a safe, clean, family friendly place to live. The schools are academically challenging. Many colleges are located here and in the suburbs. Employment opportunities exist for all socioeconomic levels. It is a diverse city in that we are accepting of refugees and immigrants. The city offers nightlife as well as arts and cultural events. We have our own Symphony, ballet, choirs. Summertime offers many free festivals downtown as well as ticketed events. we have a nationally recognized state fair. We also are within driving distance of many bigger cities such as Chicago, Minneapolis and Kansas City. I would rank this area 8 out of 10. Good quality of life, but slow paced vs a bigger city.