Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Johnston is one of the best-graded places in America: an A, ranked 25th of 140 in Iowa. CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 89% of the country, its public schools beat 86% of Iowa towns on state tests and graduation, and the median household earns $107K. The exception is cost of living: homes are expensive, about $400K for a typical one and 4.7 times the Des Moines metro’s $86K median household income. 58% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Johnston, where Iowa’s towns sit at 25% and U.S. towns at 29%. Only 9 of Iowa’s 276 towns score higher on hazard risk. The biggest place to walk is Saylorville Lake Project, 1,121 acres with 6.1 miles of trail.
Where Johnston beats most towns.
17,278 counted in 2010 and 24,064 in 2020; an estimated 25,065 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Johnston is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 222 in 1970, 24,064 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 4 maps from 1905 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Johnston. Close and well known come first.
9 mi Stadium & arenaCasey's Center
9 mi MuseumIowa State Capitol12 mi Theme parkAdventureland
8 mi MuseumDes Moines Art Center
7 mi Stadium & arenaDrake Stadium
13 mi Zoo & aquariumBlank Park ZooCasey's Center: Iowahwyman at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Iowa State Capitol: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Des Moines Art Center: Nhandler at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Drake Stadium: U.S. Navy photo by James Woods, Public domain · Blank Park Zoo: Lawrence Lansing, CC BY-SA 4.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Johnston, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Johnston.
Johnston trades workers with Des Moines and other neighbors, has less tooth loss than most of Iowa and sees little violent crime.
28 miles of trail in 24 parks and preserves. The trail density in Johnston is 1.4 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Saylorville Lake Project | 6.1 mi | 1,121 |
| 2. Beaver Creek Natural Resources Area | 4.1 mi | 189 |
| 3. Terra Park | 1.2 mi | 35 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Johnston Community School District. Three of its 8 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summit Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–7 | Grades 6–7 | 1,118 | A− |
| Johnston Senior High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 10–12 | Grades 10–12 | 1,820 | A− |
| Henry A Wallace Elementary SchoolTop results in townGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 840 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
The median property tax bill is $6,577, against $2,897 across Iowa, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Johnston’s median rent is $1,338 a month. The typical Johnston home is worth about $400,000, up 0.8% in a year, 69% above the Iowa typical home.
| Johnston | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,338 a month | $909 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 71% | 70% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its widest gap with Iowa is tooth loss: 5.5% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 11.6% statewide.
10% of Johnston adults smoke cigarettes. Johnston beats the Iowa average on 19 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 21% of Johnston adults binge drink.
| Johnston | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 20% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 15% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 8.7% | 12% | 12% |
| What stands out | Johnston | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.5% | 11.6% |
| Fewer adults with COPD | 4.6% | 6.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 85% of U.S. communities. Since 1993, 15 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Johnston.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Violent crime is rare: 20 reported in 2025, 0.8 per 1,000 residents.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Johnston has cold winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 12° and about 25 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Johnston has about as many jobs (13,766) as working residents, but only 1,561 people both live and work here.
Most working residents leave Johnston for work: only 14% work in town. Since 2013, Johnston has added 1,278 jobs, to 13,766 in 2023. The top destinations are Des Moines (24%), West Des Moines (16%) and Urbandale (9%).
| Johnston | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $107,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 14% | 31% | 8% |
| Work from home | 14% | 8.5% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
6 within 15 miles of the center of Johnston
About 5 of every 100 Johnston residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Iowa.
11.8% of the town is conserved land, across 24 parks and preserves.
2 places in Johnston on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Iowa, United States
Johnston is a city in Polk County, Iowa, United States. The population was 24,064 in the 2020 census, a large increase from the 8,649 population in 2000. It is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area. Johnston is the location of the headquarters of Pioneer Hi-Bred Seeds, Iowa Public Television, and The Gardeners of America/Men's Garden Clubs of America. Also located here are the Camp Dodge Military Reservation as well as the Paul J. and Ida Trier House, a private residence designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and the Des Moines Weather Forecast Office of the National Weather Service.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Johnston.
Grimes reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Johnston with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Johnston grades A overall, better than 93% of U.S. towns and #25 of 140 in Iowa. It grades A for health, B+ for safety and A for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
