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Ankeny vs Waukee

Ankeny, Iowa versus Waukee, Iowa: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.

Overall livability

Ankeny

Mixed · objective livability43/100

Waukee

Mixed · objective livability46/100

Ankeny and Waukee score about the same overall (43 vs 46 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.

Factor-by-factor comparison

FactorAnkenyWaukee
Affordability
Median Household Income$101k$107k
Cost of Living$47k$51k
Home Value$282k$305k
Monthly Rent$1k$1k
Monthly Owner Costs$2k$2k
Property Tax Rate1.77%1.69%
Income Tax6.00%6.00%
Sales Tax6.94%6.94%
Estimated total tax burden13.23%13.12%
Unemployment2.6%3.1%
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)21°F22°F
Summer Temp (Jul)75°F75°F
Annual Precipitation37.0 in37.3 in
Annual Snowfall24.7 in36.5 in
Sunny Days194 days194 days
Summer Humidity65°F65°F
Comfortable Days91 days89 days
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk38.045.9
Air Quality51 AQI51 AQI
School Quality45.166.0
Violent Crime802/100k650/100k
Property Crime1080/100k726/100k
Community
Population68,39225,045
Median Age33.334.3
Racial Diversity0.170.30
Male/Female Ratio0.990.98
Political LeaningD+16Even
White (%)88.6%80.7%
Black (%)1.0%3.4%
Hispanic (%)3.8%4.8%
Asian (%)3.1%6.5%
Other / Multiracial (%)3.5%4.6%
Getting Around
Commute Time21 min20 min
Walkability11.3/208.7/20
Airport Distance122 mi106 mi
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access91.9%91.9%
Amenities Nearby22.6657.10
Park & Nature AccessLimitedModerate

Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.

Frequently asked questions

Is Ankeny or Waukee more affordable?
Ankeny has the lower cost of living: its index is $47k, compared with Ankeny's $47k and Waukee's $51k. Median rent is $1k in Ankeny versus $1k in Waukee.
Is Ankeny or Waukee safer?
Waukee has the lower violent crime rate. Ankeny reports 802/100k and Waukee reports 650/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
Are homes cheaper in Ankeny or Waukee?
The median home value is $282k in Ankeny and $305k in Waukee, so homes are more affordable in Ankeny.
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