Residential comparison · 13 facts
Des Moines, IA vs Urbandale, IA
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Des Moines needs about $85,500 in Urbandale to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Urbandale, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $84,500 in Des Moines.
A few differences
- Urbandale is lower on property tax rate (1.5% vs 1.8%).
- Urbandale is lower on sales tax (6.9% vs 7%).
- Urbandale is higher on median household income ($112,795 vs $62,000).
Des Moines vs Urbandale · facet by facet
| Facet | Des Moines, IA | Urbandale, IA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $220,000 | $335,500 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,300/mo | $1,145/mo |
| Property tax rate | 1.8% | 1.5% |
| State & local income tax | 5.3% | 5.3% |
| Sales tax | 7% | 6.9% |
| Cost of living index | 88 | 88 |
| Groceries index | 94 | 94 |
| Utilities | $155/mo | $150/mo |
| Median household income | $62,000 | $112,795 |
| Unemployment rate | 3% | 3% |
| Crime index | 45/100 | 38/100 |
| School rating | 6.0/10 | 6.5/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 204 days | 200 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Des Moines, IA · Urbandale, IA
Questions & answers
- Is Des Moines cheaper than Urbandale?
- Des Moines and Urbandale display the same day-to-day cost index; the differences show up facet by facet in the table above.
- What household income in Urbandale equals $85,000 in Des Moines?
- A household earning $85,000 in Des Moines needs about $85,500 in Urbandale to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Urbandale lifestyle costs about $84,500 in Des Moines.