City comparison
Anderson, IN is about 425 miles (700 km) from West Des Moines, IA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 550 miles, or about 9 h behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Anderson, IN to West Des Moines, IA takes about 52 min, covering roughly 425 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
West Des Moines has a population of 68,744, vs 55,011 in Anderson — about 1.2× larger by population. By land area, West Des Moines covers about 47 sq mi vs 42 sq mi for Anderson.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Anderson | West Des Moines | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $873/mo | $1,153/mo | 32.1% higher in West Des Moines |
| Median home value | $101,700 | $266,700 | 162.2% higher in West Des Moines |
| Median household income | $44,974 | $82,345 | 83.1% higher in West Des Moines |
| Groceries index | 94.5 | 94.0 | 0.6% higher in Anderson |
| Utilities index | 86.9 | 85.2 | 1.9% higher in Anderson |
| Transportation index | 98.9 | 93.3 | 6.1% higher in Anderson |
| Healthcare index | 99.1 | 93.5 | 6.0% higher in Anderson |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Anderson, you'd need $99,978 in West Des Moines to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Anderson and West Des Moines have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 6% higher in West Des Moines than in Anderson. If you earn $80,000 in Anderson, you'd need about $79,982 in West Des Moines to keep the same standard of living.