Living in Ankeny

Ankeny is a large place in Iowa, United States, home to 56,764 people. Of the 29 household profiles on Nestlyzer, its strongest are low-income households (top 2%, #105 of 9,771), remote workers (top 2%, #90 of 7,271), movers on a budget (top 2%, #160 of 12,111).

Residents56,764

Density– per km²

Area– km²

Hub airport22 km (Des Moines International)

Nearest city of 100k+14 km

Within 30 km520,300 people

Climate typeContinental, hot summer (Dfa)

Terrain around itabout 250 m, height range 60 m

Nearest major riverDes Moines, 7.5 km

Main railway line5.3 km

Distance to Washington, D.C.1,439 km

Within 10 km81,678 people

Greater areaGreater Des Moines, 17 km out

LandscapeCentral Lowlands

Winter daylight9 h 09 min, sunset 23:47

See Ankeny on the map

Open in Nestlyzer

Good to know about Ankeny

The landscape belongs to Central Lowlands.
It is part of Greater Des Moines, 17 km from the city centre.
On the shortest day the sun is up for 9 h 09 min and sets around 23:47; in late June it sets around 3:53.

Best places in Greater Des Moines

How Ankeny ranks

Scores run 0 to 100 against every municipality in United States. Ranks count only the places that pass each profile's minimums, so the totals differ by profile. 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.

Profile	Score	In United States	In Iowa
Young family	69	#337 of 11,898	#12 of 102	Map
Low-income household	67	#105 of 9,771	#13 of 120	Map
Low-income family	69	#256 of 8,006	#15 of 53	Map
Single parent	71	#232 of 6,237	#12 of 37	Map
Pensioner couple	67	#2,063 of 9,474	#5 of 69	Map
Single pensioner	71	#1,133 of 9,474	#8 of 69	Map
Early retiree	65	#2,635 of 10,762	#9 of 138	Map
Single professional	57	#2,012 of 4,537	#11 of 23	Map
Young professional	59	#2,127 of 4,444	#11 of 25	Map
DINKS	60	#1,912 of 3,053	#11 of 18	Map
Remote worker	72	#90 of 7,271	#3 of 83	Map
Commuter	73	#1,159 of 6,227	#15 of 46	Map
Car-free household	55	#2,228 of 3,933	#10 of 22	Map
Student	78	#225 of 2,119	#4 of 12	Map
First-home buyer	69	#144 of 8,006	#15 of 53	Map
Budget-constrained mover	64	#160 of 12,111	#20 of 165	Map
Urban lifestyle seeker	50	#2,439 of 4,114	#11 of 21	Map
Expat professional	67	#2,055 of 7,271	#7 of 83	Map
Healthcare-first mover	68	#2,191 of 9,474	#18 of 69	Map
Nature-focused household	54	#6,584 of 18,063	#277 of 353	Map
Cross-border commuter		not ranked: must-have: a border within 45 km where pay is higher on the other side	–	Map
Outdoor and mountain lover	17	#9,832 of 16,523	#82 of 283	Map
Rural value seeker	52	#6,028 of 18,063	#294 of 353	Map
High-net-worth mover	68	#2,561 of 16,523	#7 of 283	Map
Lottery winner	71	#2,357 of 21,167	#12 of 457	Map
Climate-resilient relocation	74	#443 of 12,111	#8 of 165	Map
Coastal living		not ranked: below the minimum for coast	–	Map
Business owner	72	#1,460 of 12,111	#9 of 165	Map
Digital native	57	#1,390 of 4,750	#9 of 27	Map

Strengths and trade-offs

Services nearby (people within 10 km: shops, doctors, cafes, transport)100
Climate exposure (estimate: coastal and river flooding, heat; 100 = low)100
Universities in town (universities and universities of applied sciences within 10 km)96
University-town character (universities relative to the people nearby)94
Mobility and connectivity87
Freight access (motorway, rail, port)72
Jobs and economy72
Lifestyle and amenities72
Foundation69
Education and family66
Health and elderly64
Safety and community62
Flat land (terrain relief)52
Affordability51
Climate (mild and sunny: climate class and winter daylight)50
Green space37
Market reach (residents within 100 km, across borders)37
City scale (people within 10 km: big-city life, transit, scenes)28
Sea or lake shore26
One-day truck radius (residents within 300 km, across borders)23
Home market (residents of the same country within 150 km)22
Mountains and water (terrain relief, lakes and the sea nearby)2
Port access (major sea or inland port)0
Chemical park nearby (sites with pipeline links)0
National border nearby (straight line)0
Financial centre (banking and capital markets) within commuting distance0
Commodity-trading or gold hub within commuting distance0
Crypto hub within commuting distance0
Wealth-management centre within commuting distance0

Nearby

Data: Eurostat GISCO LAU 2024; locations EDJNet LAU centres; airports OurAirports; coastline Natural Earth. Updated 2026-10-31. Rankings are decision aids, not advice.