Polk County · Iowa · Midwest · 71k residents
West Des Moines, IA: cost of living, taxes & quality of life
Residential facts for West Des Moines: housing, taxes, monthly costs, climate, schools, and household income, with the Iowa median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
The acs median home value in West Des Moines is $309,000, 29% above the Iowa median. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,239/mo. Day-to-day costs index at 88 against a national baseline of 100. The median household here earns $86,594 a year.
What the numbers show
Source-confirmed findings- Housing value: The ACS median home value in West Des Moines is $309,000, 29% above the median for ACS-covered places in Iowa.
- Household income: Median household income is $86,594, 25.3% above the median for ACS-covered places in Iowa.
- Adult education: 54.9% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, 59.1% above the median for ACS-covered places in Iowa.
- Home value to income: The ACS median home value is about 3.6 times median household income. This is a comparison measure, not a mortgage qualification or affordability promise.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates(2024 ACS 5-year; tables B01003, B15003, B19013, B25077). Geography: Census place where available. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
WhereToHQ calculates the comparisons. Figures are estimates for context, not a guarantee or personal financial advice. Read the methodology or send a correction.
What makes this place distinctive
A factual snapshot of the place, based on the profile data. It is not a tourism or cultural claim.
A researched local story is not published for this city yet. The signals below are the verified profile context.
- Scale: A mid-sized city with a population between 50,000 and 250,000 in the profile data.
- Setting: The profile places West Des Moines about 231 miles from the nearest tracked lake.
- Climate signal: The profile records 200 sunny days and 37 inches of annual snow.
- Daily pace: The profile records a walk score of 34 and an average commute of 19 minutes.
WhereToHQ derives these signals from the committed city dataset. Read the methodology for coverage and source limits.
Compare West Des Moines side by side
Cost of living index
88
ACS median home value
$309,000
2-bedroom rent
$1,239/mo
Median household income
$86,594
Housing momentum
How fast West Des Moines's housing market is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
42/100
Steady
Ranks West Des Moines's home-price and rent growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. Not investment or relocation advice.
Adjusted by West Des Moines's cost-of-living index versus the US average.
| ACS median home value | $309,000 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $145 |
| Property tax rate | 1.5% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $1,171/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,239/mo |
| State & local income tax | 5.3% |
| Sales tax | 6.9% |
| Cost of living index | 88 |
| Groceries index | 94 |
| Utilities | $150/mo |
| Transit pass | $48/mo |
| Gas price | $3.00/gal |
| Healthcare index | 94 |
| Childcare (per child) | $950/mo |
| Median household income | $86,594 |
| Unemployment rate | 3% |
| Population | 71k |
| Crime index | 38/100 |
| School rating | 6.5/10 |
| Walkability | 34/100 |
| Disaster risk | 92/100 |
| Avg. commute | 19 min |
| Sunny days / year | 200 days |
| July high | 86°F |
| January low | 14°F |
| Annual snowfall | 37 in |
| Home price YoY | +1.1% |
| Home price MoM | -0.2% |
| Rent YoY | +1.7% |
| Rent MoM | -0.2% |
| Ocean coast | 809 mi |
| Big lake | 231 mi |
| Mountains | 320 mi |
| Major airport | 6 mi |
| Ski resort | 266 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Clive, IA · 19k
- Urbandale, IA · 47k
- Waukee, IA · 29k
- Johnston, IA · 24k
- Des Moines, IA · 212k
Similar size
- Ankeny, IA · 73k
- Ames, IA · 68k
- Waterloo, IA · 67k
- Iowa City, IA · 76k
- Council Bluffs, IA · 63k
Real listings in West Des Moines
Homes on Zillow ↗Realtor.com ↗Rentals on Zillow ↗Apartments.com ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- What is the cost of living in West Des Moines, IA?
- West Des Moines indexes at 88 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,239/mo and a acs median home value of $309,000.
- How much does a house cost in West Des Moines?
- The acs median home value in West Des Moines is $309,000, 29% above the Iowa median (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in West Des Moines?
- A two-bedroom in West Des Moines rents for about $1,239/mo.