Neighborhood
Drake
- grade AOverall Grade
- Rating 3.15 out of 5 26 reviews
Report Card
- Public Schoolsgrade B minus
- Crime & Safetygrade unavailable
- Housinggrade B minus
- Nightlifegrade A+
- Good for Familiesgrade A minus
- Diversitygrade A
- Jobsgrade B+
- Weathergrade B minus
- Cost of Livinggrade B
- Health & Fitnessgrade B+
- Outdoor Activitiesgrade B minus
- Commutegrade A+
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About
Real Estate
Median Home Value
$140,068
National
$217,500Median Rent
$828
National
$1,062Sponsored Mortgage Options for Drake
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Drake Rankings
Niche ranks thousands of neighborhoods based on key statistics from the U.S. Census and 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
$45,631
National
$62,843Families with Children
25%
Top Public Schools Serving Drake
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Drake Reviews
Rating 3.15 out of 5 26 reviews
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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.