Urbandale vs Windsor Heights
Urbandale, Iowa versus Windsor Heights, Iowa: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Urbandale edges out Windsor Heights on overall objective livability (47 vs 43 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Urbandale | Windsor Heights |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $112k | $85k |
| Cost of Living | $47k | $47k |
| Home Value | $299k | $235k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $13k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.75% | 1.88% |
| Income Tax | 6.00% | 6.00% |
| Sales Tax | 6.94% | 6.94% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 12.95% | 13.49% |
| Unemployment | 2.1% | 2.0% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 22°F | 22°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 75°F | 75°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 37.3 in | 37.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 38.0 in | 36.5 in |
| Sunny Days | 194 days | 194 days |
| Summer Humidity | 65°F | 65°F |
| Comfortable Days | 89 days | 88 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 40.0 | 50.3 |
| Air Quality | 51 AQI | 52 AQI |
| School Quality | 67.6 | 57.6 |
| Violent Crime | 469/100k | 685/100k |
| Property Crime | 691/100k | 3348/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 45,591 | 5,200 |
| Median Age | 38.9 | 41.5 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.26 | 0.30 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.02 | 0.86 |
| Political Leaning | D+16 | D+16 |
| White (%) | 82.0% | 78.5% |
| Black (%) | 4.3% | 5.4% |
| Hispanic (%) | 5.7% | 8.7% |
| Asian (%) | 5.2% | 6.1% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 2.7% | 1.4% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 19 min | — |
| Walkability | 11.6/20 | 13.6/20 |
| Airport Distance | 112 mi | 115 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 93.0% | 88.7% |
| Amenities Nearby | 80.50 | 1042.31 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Moderate |
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 Urbandale or Windsor Heights more affordable?
- Windsor Heights has the lower cost of living: its index is $47k, compared with Urbandale's $47k and Windsor Heights's $47k. Median rent is $1k in Urbandale versus $1k in Windsor Heights.
- Is Urbandale or Windsor Heights safer?
- Urbandale has the lower violent crime rate. Urbandale reports 469/100k and Windsor Heights reports 685/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Urbandale or Windsor Heights?
- The median home value is $299k in Urbandale and $235k in Windsor Heights, so homes are more affordable in Windsor Heights.