City comparison
Ankeny, IA is about 10 miles (20 km) from Des Moines, IA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 10 miles, or about 14 min 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 Ankeny, IA to Des Moines, IA takes about 1 min, covering roughly 10 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.
Des Moines has a population of 213,164, vs 68,392 in Ankeny — about 3.1× larger by population. By land area, Des Moines covers about 88 sq mi vs 32 sq mi for Ankeny.
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 | Ankeny | Des Moines | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,289/mo | $995/mo | 29.5% higher in Ankeny |
| Median home value | $281,700 | $170,700 | 65.0% higher in Ankeny |
| Median household income | $101,151 | $62,378 | 62.2% higher in Ankeny |
| Groceries index | 94.0 | 94.0 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 85.2 | 85.2 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 93.3 | 93.3 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 93.5 | 93.5 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Ankeny, you'd need $99,019 in Des Moines to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Des Moines, IA is about 1% cheaper overall than Ankeny, IA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 2% higher in Ankeny than in Des Moines. If you earn $80,000 in Ankeny, you'd need about $79,215 in Des Moines to keep the same standard of living.