Urbandale receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Waukee
Urbandale
Opportunity
88 · Top 1%
vs87 · Top 2%
Growth
77 · Top 8%
vs82 · Top 4%
Climate
59 · Bottom 10%
vs59 · Bottom 10%
Physical resilience
76 · Top 30%
vs85 · Top 17%
Housing affordability
95 · Top 20%
vs100 · Top 8%
Schools
75 · Top 20%
vs81 · Top 13%
Access
89 · Bottom 40%
vs95 · Top 40%
Economic stability
79 · Top 9%
vs74 · Top 19%
Measured values
| Metric | Waukee | Urbandale | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 29,236 | 46,595 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $101,029 | $112,795 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $55,193 | $54,506 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,335/sq mi | 2,067/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $350,500 | $335,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,383 | $1,211 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 66.5% | 78.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 2.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.2% | 0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 58.0% | 51.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.4% | 6.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 818 | 597 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 28.0 | 12.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -6.5% | 43.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 86°F | 86°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 14°F | 14°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 36.5" | 36.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 12 mi | 9 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.9 min | 20.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.7 | 39.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 11 | 8 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.70 | 14.29 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 79.4% | 79.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 78.3% | 76.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 19.9% | 34.9% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Waukee
Elevated or high exposure: drought, tornado, heat wave.
Urbandale
Elevated or high exposure: drought, tornado, strong wind.
Full profiles: Waukee, IA · Urbandale, IA · How this is calculated: methodology