City comparison
Ankeny, IA is about 850 miles (1,300 km) from Metairie, LA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 1,000 miles, or about 17 hours 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 Metairie, LA takes about 1 h 40 min, covering roughly 850 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.
Metairie has a population of 140,046, vs 68,392 in Ankeny — about 2.0× larger by population. By land area, Ankeny covers about 32 sq mi vs 23 sq mi for Metairie.
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 | Metairie | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,289/mo | $1,120/mo | 15.1% higher in Ankeny |
| Median home value | $281,700 | $289,800 | 2.9% higher in Metairie |
| Median household income | $101,151 | $72,070 | 40.4% higher in Ankeny |
| Groceries index | 94.0 | 94.1 | ≈ equal (Metairie slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 85.2 | 73.3 | 16.2% higher in Ankeny |
| Transportation index | 93.3 | 96.1 | 3.1% higher in Metairie |
| Healthcare index | 93.5 | 95.6 | 2.3% higher in Metairie |
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 $99,766 in Metairie to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Ankeny and Metairie have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Ankeny, you'd need about $79,813 in Metairie to keep the same standard of living.