Head-to-Head Analysis

Ankeny vs West Des Moines

Detailed breakdown of cost of living, income potential, and lifestyle metrics.

📊 Lifestyle Match

Visualizing the tradeoffs between Ankeny and West Des Moines

📋 The Details

Line-by-line data comparison.

Category / Metric Ankeny West Des Moines
Financial Overview
Median Income $105,862 $83,637
Unemployment Rate 3.5% 3.5%
Housing Market
Median Home Price $323,500 $316,000
Price per SqFt $214 $199
Monthly Rent (1BR) $787 $899
Housing Cost Index 86.1 86.1
Cost of Living
Groceries Index 95.1 95.1
Gas Price (Gallon) $3.40 $3.40
Safety & Lifestyle
Violent Crime (per 100k) 301.8 301.8
Bachelor's Degree+ 30.014285714285716% 54.8%
Air Quality (AQI) 31 31

AI Verdict: The Bottom Line

Both cities have a similar cost of living (within 5%).

You could earn significantly more in Ankeny (+27% median income).

Analysis based on current data snapshot. Individual results may vary.

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