West Des Moines vs Windsor Heights
West Des Moines, 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.
West Des Moines and Windsor Heights score about the same overall (44 vs 43 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | West Des Moines | Windsor Heights |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $82k | $85k |
| Cost of Living | $47k | $47k |
| Home Value | $267k | $235k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $18k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.64% | 1.88% |
| Income Tax | 6.00% | 6.00% |
| Sales Tax | 6.94% | 6.94% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 13.59% | 13.49% |
| Unemployment | 2.8% | 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 | 36.5 in | 36.5 in |
| Sunny Days | 194 days | 194 days |
| Summer Humidity | 65°F | 65°F |
| Comfortable Days | 88 days | 88 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 43.1 | 50.3 |
| Air Quality | 51 AQI | 52 AQI |
| School Quality | 65.8 | 57.6 |
| Violent Crime | 818/100k | 685/100k |
| Property Crime | 1724/100k | 3348/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 68,744 | 5,200 |
| Median Age | 36.2 | 41.5 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.33 | 0.30 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.00 | 0.86 |
| Political Leaning | D+16 | D+16 |
| White (%) | 79.1% | 78.5% |
| Black (%) | 4.4% | 5.4% |
| Hispanic (%) | 5.7% | 8.7% |
| Asian (%) | 6.1% | 6.1% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.8% | 1.4% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 18 min | — |
| Walkability | 11.4/20 | 13.6/20 |
| Airport Distance | 110 mi | 115 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 92.2% | 88.7% |
| Amenities Nearby | 36.80 | 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 West Des Moines or Windsor Heights more affordable?
- Windsor Heights has the lower cost of living: its index is $47k, compared with West Des Moines's $47k and Windsor Heights's $47k. Median rent is $1k in West Des Moines versus $1k in Windsor Heights.
- Is West Des Moines or Windsor Heights safer?
- Windsor Heights has the lower violent crime rate. West Des Moines reports 818/100k and Windsor Heights reports 685/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in West Des Moines or Windsor Heights?
- The median home value is $267k in West Des Moines and $235k in Windsor Heights, so homes are more affordable in Windsor Heights.