City comparison
Ankeny, IA is about 100 miles (175 km) from Iowa City, IA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 125 miles, or about 2 h 15 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 Iowa City, IA takes about 13 min, covering roughly 100 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.
Iowa City has a population of 74,878, vs 68,392 in Ankeny — about the same size. By land area, Ankeny covers about 32 sq mi vs 26 sq mi for Iowa City.
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 | Iowa City | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,289/mo | $1,077/mo | 19.7% higher in Ankeny |
| Median home value | $281,700 | $256,600 | 9.8% higher in Ankeny |
| Median household income | $101,151 | $54,879 | 84.3% higher in Ankeny |
| Groceries index | 94.0 | 94.0 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 85.2 | 84.4 | 1.0% higher in Ankeny |
| 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 $98,885 in Iowa City to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Iowa City, IA is about 1.1% cheaper overall than Ankeny, IA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 3% higher in Ankeny than in Iowa City. If you earn $80,000 in Ankeny, you'd need about $79,108 in Iowa City to keep the same standard of living.