Ankeny’s development began when rail lines arrived in the small farm community in 1875. A federal ammo factory opened in 1942 during the war, but home mail delivery was still a decade away. In the past 20 years, however, the city has grown at an unprecedented rate—doubling its population since 2000, the community has swelled to over 74,000 residents. “Ankeny is huge, and it’ll keep growing,” says Liz Lashier, Realtor with NextHome Your Way who sells homes throughout the Des Moines metro area. “It has nothing stopping it, except maybe Bondurant on one side. When you talk to people who grew up in Ankeny, they’re like, ‘This isn’t even the same place!’” The U.S. Census Bureau reported a 9.4 percent population increase just from 2020 to 2023, and the city tails Waukee in rankings of the fastest-growing cities in Iowa.
The growth has caused some stress on the area’s infrastructure, so the city adopted The Ankeny Plan 2040, a comprehensive document establishing policy goals for critical aspects of the community. Some of the plan’s highlights include investing in economic diversity, increasing public transportation access in high-employment areas and expanding efforts to attract new industries. The area’s largest employers include Ankeny Community Schools, Deere & Company, Casey’s General Stores and the City of Ankeny, though many still commute on arterial roads 14 miles south to downtown Des Moines each day.
Northwest Ankeny likes to emphasize its bike-able nature.
Northeast Ankeny has high-end homes, good schools, and lovely parks.
John Deere is one of the largest employers in Ankeny.
Northwest Ankeny is home to a variety of shopping and dining options.
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New constructions in established subdivisions
Ankeny has almost 26,000 housing units, over 60% of which were built in the year 2000 or after, according to the city. A few neighborhoods of midcentury homes are near the city’s historic Uptown District, but most others have similarly styled Craftsman or New Traditional homes with freshly planted trees. “Prairie Trail has shops and restaurants right within the neighborhood, like a little town,” Lashier says. “And all the homes are brand-new, but all unique from the next.” The median home price is $335,000, lower than the national average price. With so many new homes added every year, supply outweighs demand—homes sell after an average of 80 days on the market compared to the national average of 45 days.
Southeast Ankeny features a wide variety of homes, from older ranch style to contemporary.
Newer areas of Southeast Ankeny feature larger homes in colonial revival styles.
Modern contemporary homes are common in Northwest Ankeny.
Much of Southeast Ankeny is classic midcentury ranch-style homes.
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Growing shopping and dining scene
Ankeny has dozens of restaurants, a far cry from its remote nature just a couple of decades prior. “It’s become self-contained, so people don’t need to leave unless they want to go to downtown Des Moines,” Lashier says. “They have a Costco and all the big stuff.” One of the city’s most popular spots for shopping and recreation is The District at Prairie Trail. This 1,031-acre mixed-use development is a community hub with townhouse blocks, apartments, restaurants, shops, the B&B Theatres Ankeny 12 and the Ankeny Kirkendall Public Library. The Uptown Ankeny Farmers Market is open every Saturday morning from mid-May through September and sells locally and regionally produced crafts, baked goods and ciders.
Northwest Ankeny love spending a day shopping in The District.
Uptown Ankeny features a host of newer businesses along the High Trestle Trail.
Northwest Ankeny is minutes from the Kirkendall Public Library and its beautiful plaza.
Northeast Ankeny boasts a brand new Costco.
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600 acres of parks
The city maintains 600 acres of parks and green spaces, two aquatic centers with swimming pools and splash pads, and a dog park. There’s also a senior community center, a municipal golf course and a sports complex. Wagner Park hosts community events like Movies Under the Stars, Yoga in the Park and the All-City Play Day, featuring games and activities for all ages. Ankeny also has a 100-mile trail system. “You even go over a street in Ankeny on a bike trail—they've added a bridge just for the bikers,” says Darla Willett-Rohrssen, Realtor with Iowa Realty who sells homes in Ankeny. The High Trestle Trail extends 25 miles through four counties as part of a “rails to trails” conversion, running along decommissioned railroad tracks with six overlooks along the way. Saylorville Lake, a 26,000-acre reservoir on the Des Moines River, attracts water sports enthusiasts about 7 miles west of Ankeny. "Around here, we don't have tons of boatable-type lakes,” says Willett-Rohrssen. “Saylorville is the major lake for the metro area. Even if you don't have a boat you can stop in down there and have a little something to eat or drink at the marina.”
The Michael Park Pedestrian Bridge is a delightful addition to the Northeast Ankeny.
The Prairie Ridge Aquatic Center in Southwest Ankeny.
Southwest Ankeny is a bike friendly neighborhood, crisscrossed by bike trails.
The High Trestle Trail runs through the center of Ankeny.
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Festivals, art centers and Floppy the beagle
The Ankeny Area Historical Society Museum House was built in 1905 and still anchors the city’s historic Uptown. It has exhibits for antique toys, military memorabilia and Floppy, a balsa-wood beagle puppet that starred in his own local TV show for three decades. The District at Prairie Trail hosts annual events like Summerfest each July. The three-day music festival features numerous live bands, carnival rides and local restaurant vendors. The Ankeny Art Center is a non-profit geared towards educating the public through art exhibits, community events and numerous classes for a range of ages.
The Ankeny features events for the whole family.
The Operating Room near Southeast Ankeny is a classic barcade with great drinks and games.
Revel in history at The Aviation Heritage Museum in Southeast Ankeny.
The B&B Theater near Northwest Ankeny features live music on the weekends.
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A highly performing school system
Students in the city are served by the Ankeny Community School District. Students in the city are served by the Ankeny Community School District. Niche gives the district an A rating and ranks it as the No. 1 best school district in the metro area. The arrival of Ankeny Centennial High School in 2013 relieved some overcrowding at Ankeny High, which now serves the southern half of the city. “I could see them adding another in the next five to ten years or so,” says Shane Kennedy, an agent with eXp Realty who sells homes in Ankeny. The high schools offer dual enrollment and associate degrees through the Ankeny branch of Des Moines Area Community College.
Southeast Elementary School serves the students of Southeast Ankeny.
Northeast Elementary School focuses on Northeast Ankeny student progress and test scores.
Students of Southview Middle School in Southwest Ankeny excel in their studies.
Ankeny High School serves the students of Southwest Ankeny.
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Commuting through greater Des Moines
With Ankeny more than 10 miles away from Des Moines, many of the suburban city’s residents sometimes contend with a complicated commute on Interstate 35, U.S. Route 69 and Delaware Avenue, the three main thoroughfares to the state capital. “When you’re in Ankeny, it can take forever to get out of it,” Lashier says. “It’s a little bit difficult to get around because it’s grown so fast.” However, there is some benefit to living further away, as Ankeny offers tax incentives in some cases. “Some people get a better deal with a tax abatement on the land and housing and live a little further away and then commute into the city maybe once a week. And with a lot of jobs going hybrid, it’s easier to do that.”
The Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority—or DART—operates a route between 1st Street in Ankeny and downtown Des Moines, with stops at Des Moines Area Community College, Ankeny Boulevard and transfer points. The city is home to Ankeny Regional Airport, though travelers head to Des Moines International Airport 18 miles south. Construction may slow arrival times to the airport through 2026, with a brand-new terminal currently in the works.
Environmental factors and crime
FEMA gives Ankeny a 98.3 Risk Index score for tornados, compared to the statewide score of 60.6. 102 tornado incidents are on record since 1950 in the U.S. Tornado and Weather Extremes database, the most recent touching down in April 2024. The Ankeny Plan 2040 contains a list of safety features to be installed in the coming years for tornados and other threats like flash flooding. Tornado drills are required at least twice a semester at Ankeny schools.
Violent crimes and property crimes in Akeny are generally lower than state and national averages, according to FBI data. The Des Moines metro area hosts an interactive crime map showing incident locations throughout Ankeny and other nearby cities.
On average, homes in Ankeny, IA sell after 80 days on the market compared to the national average of 50 days. The median sale price for homes in Ankeny, IA over the last 12 months is $338,125, up 1% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
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