Iowa city guide
Moving From California to Ankeny, IA
The fastest-growing suburb in Iowa, heavy on newer homes and young families, on the north edge of the Des Moines metro.
Housing comparison
California versus Ankeny, side by side
- Median home value
- $725,800
- $311,300
- Median annual property tax
- $5,114
- not available
- Median monthly cost, owners with a mortgage
- $2,844
- not available
- Population
- 39.0 million (state)
- 70,542
Figures are US Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5-Year Estimates for the city place. Property tax and monthly cost rows cover owner-occupied units with a mortgage, so they describe what current owners pay, not what a new buyer would pay at today's prices. California column is the statewide baseline used across this site.
Why Californians look at Ankeny
Ankeny has been the fastest-growing city in Iowa for more than a decade, expanding from a small town north of Des Moines into a full-sized suburb with its own retail corridors, a community college campus, and a growing employer base. The population figures tell the story: this is a city built almost entirely in the last 20 years.
That growth means the housing stock skews new. Most neighborhoods date from the 2000s onward, which is unusual for the Midwest and means fewer of the maintenance issues that come with a century-old housing stock.
For a California family, Ankeny offers new construction, strong schools, and a young population at a price still far below a comparable California suburb, with the trade-off of a town still building out its own identity separate from Des Moines.
Ankeny fits you if
- You want newer construction and modern floor plans rather than an older housing stock.
- You are relocating with young kids and want schools built to keep pace with rapid enrollment growth.
- You want a quieter, family-oriented suburb with quick highway access to Des Moines proper.
- You are comfortable with a town still developing its downtown and cultural identity.
Look elsewhere if
- You want an established historic downtown or walkable pre-war neighborhoods. Ankeny is mostly new.
- You need a deep, varied private-sector job market locally rather than commuting into Des Moines.
- You want mature trees and long-settled streetscapes. Many Ankeny neighborhoods are still young.
- You dislike ongoing construction and road expansion as infrastructure catches up to growth.
Housing in Ankeny
New subdivisions dominate, particularly on the north and east sides, with builder-grade and semi-custom homes on generous lots. The older core near the original downtown has some smaller, older homes, but it is a small share of the total stock.
The ACS median home value for the city is $311,300, higher than several other Des Moines-area suburbs, reflecting the newer housing stock and the demand growth has created. It remains far below a comparable fast-growing suburb in California.
Because so much of the city was built recently, buyers should expect a HOA in many neighborhoods and should budget for the newer, higher assessments that come with recent construction.
Work and the local economy
Ankeny's own employment base has grown alongside its population, anchored by manufacturing, distribution, and a growing healthcare and retail sector, plus a Des Moines Area Community College campus that trains much of the local workforce.
Even so, a large share of Ankeny residents commute into Des Moines or West Des Moines for work, since the deepest job concentrations in finance, insurance, and corporate services remain in the core metro.
If you are bringing remote work or retirement income, Ankeny's growth and new infrastructure make it an easy landing spot. If you need to find specialized local work, plan on a commute.
Climate and setting
Ankeny shares central Iowa's four-season continental climate: cold, snowy winters, warm and humid summers, and an active spring severe weather season that includes tornado watches and warnings.
The terrain is flat to gently rolling, typical of the Des Moines Lobe landscape, with several man-made lakes and parks built into newer developments for stormwater management and recreation.
Fall and late spring are generally the most comfortable stretches, and the city's trail network connects into the broader Des Moines metro system for outdoor recreation.
Getting around, care, and schools
- Commercial air
- Des Moines International Airport (DSM), roughly 20 minutes south, with nonstop service to major hubs.
- Highways
- Interstate 35 runs through the city; Interstate 80 is a short drive south.
- Hospital
- MercyOne and UnityPoint Health operate clinics and urgent care in Ankeny; full hospitals are in Des Moines proper.
- Public schools
- Ankeny Community School District, one of the fastest-growing districts in the state.
- Higher education
- Des Moines Area Community College's main campus is in Ankeny.
- Setting
- Flat to gently rolling terrain on the Des Moines Lobe, dotted with new stormwater lakes and parks.
The trade-offs
- The city is still catching up to its own growth, with ongoing road and school construction as a normal part of life.
- Most local jobs skew toward manufacturing, retail, and distribution; deeper professional roles usually mean commuting into Des Moines.
- The housing stock is uniformly new, which some buyers like and others find lacks character.
- Winters are a real adjustment for a California household, with genuine snow removal and heating costs.
Other Iowa towns people compare
West Des Moines
The Des Moines metro's professional core, with new construction, corporate headquarters, and the deepest job access in the state.
Iowa City
A university and hospital town with the state's most walkable core and its highest rents, built around the University of Iowa.
Cedar Rapids
The cheapest real housing of any sizable Iowa metro, still rebuilding its tree canopy after a 2020 derecho and historic flooding.
Ames
Home to Iowa State University, a stable employment base built around the school, and a small-town cost structure.
Decorah
A small town in the bluff country of Iowa's northeast corner, chosen by people who want scenery over convenience.
Statewide figures, tax detail, and the full Iowa picture are on the Iowa page. Compare property, income, and sales tax across all 49 destination states on Taxes, and see where Californians are actually moving on Stats.
Sources
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5-Year Estimates, table B25077 (median home value), retrieved via Census Reporter, September 3, 2026.
- US Census Bureau, ACS 2020 to 2024 5-Year Estimates, table B25103 (median real estate taxes paid, owner-occupied units with a mortgage), retrieved September 3, 2026.
- US Census Bureau, ACS 2020 to 2024 5-Year Estimates, table B25088 (median selected monthly owner costs, owner-occupied units with a mortgage), retrieved September 3, 2026.
- US Census Bureau, ACS 2020 to 2024 5-Year Estimates, table B01003 (total population), retrieved September 3, 2026.
- Population Review profile for Ankeny, IA, populationreview.org.
- Des Moines International Airport flight information, flydsm.com.
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