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Suburb0
Des Moines

Urbandale

#4 in Best Suburbs to Live in Des Moines Area
  • A+
    Overall Grade
  • Suburb of Des Moines, IA
  • 95 reviews
    A+
    Overall Niche Grade
    How are grades calculated?
    1. Public Schools
      A
    2. Crime & Safety
      C+
    3. Housing
      A
    4. Nightlife
      A-
    5. Good for Families
      A+
    6. Diversity
      B
    7. Jobs
      A
    8. Weather
      B-
    9. Cost of Living
      B+
    10. Health & Fitness
      B+
    11. Outdoor Activities
      B
    12. Commute
      B+
    View Full Report Card
    Urbandale is a suburb of Des Moines with a population of 42,222. Urbandale is in Polk County and is one of the best places to live in Iowa. Living in Urbandale offers residents a dense suburban feel and most residents own their homes. In Urbandale there are a lot of restaurants, coffee shops, and parks. Many families and young professionals live in Urbandale and residents tend to lean conservative. The public schools in Urbandale are highly rated.
    About Urbandale...
    Population
    42,222

    Real Estate

    Median Home Value
    $216,100
    National
    $184,700
    Median Rent
    $864
    National
    $949
    Area Feel
    Dense Suburban
    Rent vs. Own
    • Rent
      21%
    • Own
      79%
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    Urbandale Rankings

    Niche ranks thousands of places to live based on key statistics from the U.S. Census and and expert insights.

    Crime & Safety

    Crime & Safety
    C+
    Based on violent and property crime rates.
    Violent Crimes
    • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
    National
    • Assault
      222.3
      282.7
    • Murder
      0
      6.1
    • Rape
      22.9
      40.7
    • Robbery
      18.3
      135.5
    Property Crimes
    • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
    National
    • Burglary
      318.5
      500.1
    • Theft
      806.7
      2,042.8
    • Motor Vehicle Theft
      107.7
      284

    Residents

    Diversity
    B
    Based on ethnic and economic diversity.
    Age
    • <10 years
      15%
    • 10-17 years
      12%
    • 18-24 years
      5%
    • 25-34 years
      14%
    • 35-44 years
      14%
    • 45-54 years
      15%
    • 55-64 years
      12%
    • 65+ years
      14%
    Education Levels
    National
    • Master's degree or higher
      15%
      12%
    • Bachelor's degree
      34%
      19%
    • Some college or associate's degree
      31%
      29%
    • High school diploma or equivalent
      17%
      28%
    • Less than high school diploma
      4%
      13%

    Working in Urbandale

    Jobs
    A
    Based on employment rates, job and business growth, and cost of living.
    Median Household Income
    $85,432
    National
    $55,322
    Search for Jobs in Urbandale
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    • Private Schools
    • Colleges
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    Urbandale Reviews

    95 reviews
    All Categories
    Great, family friendly area! Parks everywhere, everything is clean, low crime rate, excellent schools. Tons to do and very nice people in the area
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    Urbandale is just a short uber drive away from downtwon Des Moines which has a large farmers market every Saturday, historic east village with shops and restaurants, a fun night life, and events taking place every weekend throughout the summer. It is always close to west Des Moines which offers a large mall, restaurants, outdoor retail stores. It is also located close to Saylorville Recreation Area and Big Creek State Park. The bike trail system in the Des Moines area. Wells Fargo Arena get a lot of great music acts that come through. Downtown Des Moines also has several places that host live music including Simon Estes Amphitheater, which is an outdoor venue on the river.

    What I’d like to see change is more local organic food stores in Urbandale itself.
    It's great! Lots of friendly people, close to Des Moines, and lots of things to do. Very safe community with lots of amazing things.