Should I Move To
Ankeny, Iowa comes in at about 68,392 residents. Cost of living comes out affordable — 10% below the national average. Rent typically lands near $1,289/mo, and the median household income is about $101,151. Overall, 70/100 on our composite score, which works out to a B-, putting it at #14 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Cost-of-living index of 90 (with 100 as the US baseline) — that's affordable territory. With median rent at $1,289/mo and median household income at $101,151, housing takes about 15% of gross income — comfortably under the 30% rule of thumb, which is unusual. Homes typically value around $281,700.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Expect cold-winter weather — summers near 84°F, winters around 17°F. Rain (and snow, in some seasons) totals about 37 inches annually. Walking covers most daily life if you live in a central neighborhood; a car is helpful for longer trips but not essential. AQI runs about 37 — a "good" reading.
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
On the families profile, Ankeny sits squarely in the middle. The profile-weighted score is 67/100 — a B-. Its standout dimension is job market (95/100); the soft spot is climate (15/100).
On the retirees profile, Ankeny sits squarely in the middle. The profile-weighted score is 59/100 — a C. Its standout dimension is job market (95/100); the soft spot is climate (15/100).
On the remote workers profile, Ankeny sits squarely in the middle. The profile-weighted score is 64/100 — a C+. Its standout dimension is job market (95/100); the soft spot is climate (15/100).
On the young professionals profile, Ankeny sits squarely in the middle. The profile-weighted score is 74/100 — a B. Its standout dimension is job market (95/100); the soft spot is climate (15/100).
Our overall score for Ankeny is 70/100 — a B-, sitting at #14 in the national ranking. It's a weighted average across the seven UrbRank dimensions.
By the composite index, Ankeny sits at 90 — affordable, 10% below the national average. Median renter pays around $1,289 a month.
Ankeny runs cold-winter on the weather. Summer's near 84°F, winter's near 17°F; 37 inches of precipitation annually.
Walk Score: 81/100. Walking covers most daily life if you live in a central neighborhood; a car is helpful for longer trips but not essential.
Roughly 68,392 people live here, with 53% college-educated (bachelor's or higher) among adults 25+ with a median age of 33.
Drop Ankeny into the comparison tool with any other US city and you'll get housing costs, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life data lined up side by side. Profile-specific leaderboards (families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals) are linked from the navigation.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Ankeny with other Iowa cities scored on UrbRank.
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