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Best places to live in Greater Des Moines

16 places with 499,605 residents within about 25 km of Des Moines, ranked for 29 household profiles. Local data: official statistics on affordability, green space, education and family, health and elderly, jobs and economy, lifestyle and amenities, mobility and connectivity and safety and community (local or regional figures, sources on every place page) plus population and geography.

A greater area here means every municipality whose nearest big-city core is Des Moines, within a radius that grows with the size of the city (20 to 60 km). It is a practical commuting belt, not an official region.

Rank Greater Des Moines for your household

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For young families

  1. 1Waukee
    Iowa, 18,990 residents    76
  2. 2Urbandale
    Iowa, 44,062 residents    72
  3. 3Carlisle (Iowa)
    Iowa, 4,168 residents    71
  4. 4Norwalk (Iowa)
    Iowa, 10,135 residents    71
  5. 5Ankeny
    Iowa, 56,764 residents    69
  6. 6Johnston (Iowa)
    Iowa, 20,871 residents    69
  7. 7Saylorville
    Iowa, 3,301 residents    68
  8. 8Grimes (Iowa)
    Iowa, 10,676 residents    67
  9. 9Pleasant Hill (Iowa)
    Iowa, 9,314 residents    67
  10. 10Clive
    Iowa, 15,447 residents    67

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For retired couples

  1. 1Urbandale
    Iowa, 44,062 residents    69
  2. 2Waukee
    Iowa, 18,990 residents    67
  3. 3Ankeny
    Iowa, 56,764 residents    67
  4. 4Johnston (Iowa)
    Iowa, 20,871 residents    66
  5. 5Grimes (Iowa)
    Iowa, 10,676 residents    66
  6. 6Saylorville
    Iowa, 3,301 residents    65
  7. 7Pleasant Hill (Iowa)
    Iowa, 9,314 residents    65
  8. 8Clive
    Iowa, 15,447 residents    64
  9. 9Carlisle (Iowa)
    Iowa, 4,168 residents    63
  10. 10Bondurant
    Iowa, 4,996 residents    63

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For remote workers

  1. 1Urbandale
    Iowa, 44,062 residents    73
  2. 2Ankeny
    Iowa, 56,764 residents    72
  3. 3Johnston (Iowa)
    Iowa, 20,871 residents    71
  4. 4Grimes (Iowa)
    Iowa, 10,676 residents    70
  5. 5Clive
    Iowa, 15,447 residents    69
  6. 6Pleasant Hill (Iowa)
    Iowa, 9,314 residents    68
  7. 7Waukee
    Iowa, 18,990 residents    66
  8. 8West Des Moines
    Iowa, 64,113 residents    65
  9. 9Des Moines (Iowa)
    Iowa, 214,133 residents    64
  10. 10Altoona (Iowa)
    Iowa, 16,984 residents    64

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For commuters

  1. 1Des Moines (Iowa)
    Iowa, 214,133 residents    83
  2. 2West Des Moines
    Iowa, 64,113 residents    80
  3. 3Urbandale
    Iowa, 44,062 residents    79
  4. 4Pleasant Hill (Iowa)
    Iowa, 9,314 residents    75
  5. 5Clive
    Iowa, 15,447 residents    75
  6. 6Johnston (Iowa)
    Iowa, 20,871 residents    74
  7. 7Saylorville
    Iowa, 3,301 residents    73
  8. 8Ankeny
    Iowa, 56,764 residents    73
  9. 9Windsor Heights
    Iowa, 4,889 residents    73
  10. 10Norwalk (Iowa)
    Iowa, 10,135 residents    70

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For single professionals

  1. 1Des Moines (Iowa)
    Iowa, 214,133 residents    73
  2. 2West Des Moines
    Iowa, 64,113 residents    69
  3. 3Urbandale
    Iowa, 44,062 residents    67
  4. 4Clive
    Iowa, 15,447 residents    61
  5. 5Pleasant Hill (Iowa)
    Iowa, 9,314 residents    59
  6. 6Ankeny
    Iowa, 56,764 residents    57
  7. 7Johnston (Iowa)
    Iowa, 20,871 residents    57
  8. 8Grimes (Iowa)
    Iowa, 10,676 residents    49
  9. 9Altoona (Iowa)
    Iowa, 16,984 residents    44
  10. 10Norwalk (Iowa)
    Iowa, 10,135 residents    40

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For movers on a budget

  1. 1Urbandale
    Iowa, 44,062 residents    67
  2. 2West Des Moines
    Iowa, 64,113 residents    66
  3. 3Johnston (Iowa)
    Iowa, 20,871 residents    65
  4. 4Norwalk (Iowa)
    Iowa, 10,135 residents    65
  5. 5Clive
    Iowa, 15,447 residents    65
  6. 6Des Moines (Iowa)
    Iowa, 214,133 residents    64
  7. 7Ankeny
    Iowa, 56,764 residents    64
  8. 8Pleasant Hill (Iowa)
    Iowa, 9,314 residents    64
  9. 9Waukee
    Iowa, 18,990 residents    63
  10. 10Carlisle (Iowa)
    Iowa, 4,168 residents    63

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Towns in Greater Des Moines