Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Mitchellville is one of the best-graded places in America: an A+, ranked 3rd of 140 in Iowa. A typical home costs about $270K, 3.1 years of the Des Moines metro’s $86K median household income, it reports less crime per resident than 87% of U.S. towns, and the median household earns $81K. Its lowest mark, a B, is in health. Only 5 of Iowa’s 276 towns score lower on the outdoors. Universalist Church is on the National Register of Historic Places. Among 140 Iowa towns, just 4 have a lower share of residents 65 or older than Mitchellville.
Where Mitchellville beats most towns.
Universalist Church2,254 counted in 2010 and 2,485 in 2020; an estimated 2,671 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 7.4% since 2020, after 10.2% in the decade before.
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 Mitchellville is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Its founding year, 1816, comes before those of 99% of the Iowa towns we grade with a known year.
Census counts: 745 in 1880, 2,485 in 2020. The archive holds 7 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1930 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Mitchellville, 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 Mitchellville.
At 5.1 per 1,000 residents, Mitchellville’s property crime rate is near the Iowa town median (7.4) and below the median of U.S. towns (9.9).
| Mitchellville | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.1 per 1,000 residents | 7.4 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.1 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Southeast Polk Community School District. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchellville ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 255 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
2.3% of Mitchellville working residents work locally, against 31% in Iowa’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Since 2013, Mitchellville has lost 82 jobs, to 352 in 2023. Mitchellville’s average trip to work is 24 minutes.
| Mitchellville | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 2.3% | 31% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $81,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 8.5% | 8.5% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 72% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Mitchellville has cold winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 13° and about 25 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Mitchellville beats the Iowa average on 7 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 28% of adults have high blood pressure in Mitchellville. Of the 140 Iowa towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Mitchellville.
| Mitchellville | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 35% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 16% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 20% | 16% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 8.5% | 12% | 12% |
| What stands out | Mitchellville | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 4.5% | 6.6% |
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 2.4% | 3.3% |
| More adults with depression | 25.6% | 20.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The median rent in Mitchellville is $779 a month. The typical Mitchellville home is worth about $270,000, about the same as a year ago, 14% above the Iowa typical home. 78% of Mitchellville households own their home.
| Mitchellville | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $779 a month | $913 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 78% | 70% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Mitchellville. Close and well known come first.
14 mi Stadium & arenaCasey's Center
13 mi MuseumIowa State Capitol
17 mi MuseumDes Moines Art Center
17 mi Zoo & aquariumBlank Park Zoo
16 mi Stadium & arenaDrake StadiumCasey'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 · Blank Park Zoo: Lawrence Lansing, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Drake Stadium: U.S. Navy photo by James Woods, Public domain
4 within 15 miles of the center of Mitchellville
About 4 of every 100 Mitchellville residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
Where Mitchellville’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
3 notable people were born in Mitchellville.
City in Iowa, United States
Mitchellville is a city located in Polk and Jasper counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 2,485 at the time of the 2020 census. Mitchellville is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area. The Iowa Correctional Institution for Women is located in Mitchellville.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Mitchellville grades A+ overall, among the top 2% of U.S. towns and #3 of 140 in Iowa. It grades B for health, A for safety and B+ for schools.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.
3 notable people were born here, including Buck Shaw and Jack Justin Stiffler.
