Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Waukee grades A− overall, 36th of 140 graded towns in Iowa. It is healthier than 93% of U.S. towns. Its schools rank ahead of 86% of Iowa towns and the median household earns $101K. What holds it back is price: homes are expensive, about $345K for a typical one and 4 times the Des Moines metro’s $86K median household income. 58% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Waukee, where Iowa’s towns sit at 25% and U.S. towns at 29%. Only 25 of Iowa’s 276 towns score lower on history. The biggest park or preserve is Centennial Park, at 35 acres.
Where Waukee beats most towns.
13,790 counted in 2010 and 23,940 in 2020; an estimated 34,890 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 45.7% since 2020, after 73.6% 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 Waukee is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 245 in 1880, 23,940 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1908 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Waukee, 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 Waukee.
Waukee has less tooth loss than most of Iowa, has home values lagging Iowa’s and has more than doubled its jobs in ten years.
Its widest gap with Iowa is tooth loss: 6.7% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 11.6% statewide.
Among 140 Iowa towns, just 4 have a lower share of adults who say their health is fair or poor than Waukee. Waukee: 27% of adults have high blood pressure. Of 32 CDC measures, Waukee beats the Iowa average on 20 and trails it on 1.
| Waukee | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 20% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 32% | 36% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.5% | 13% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 35% | 35% |
| What stands out | Waukee | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.7% | 11.6% |
| Fewer adults with COPD | 4.2% | 6.9% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 73.3% | 77.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Below: Three of its 13 schools, each with why it was picked. The public schools here belong to the Waukee Community School District. 6 public schools serve Waukee, with 4,551 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–7 | Grades 6–7 | 1,092 | A− |
| Northwest High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 10–12 | Grades 10–12 | 1,574 | – |
| Waukee Middle SchoolTop results in townGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 867 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
At about $345K, home values are up 7% in five years, against a rise of 26% across Iowa. The median property tax bill is $5,475, against $2,897 across Iowa, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
On the market in Waukee: a median 140 days to sell. Homes in the town are typically worth about $345,000, down 1.5% in a year, 46% above the Iowa typical home. Among households here, 67% own their home.
| Waukee | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,383 a month | $909 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 67% | 70% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Jobs based here grew from 3,600 in 2013 to 7,507. 22% of workers work from home, against 11.3% across Iowa.
Commuting out is the norm in Waukee: 8% of working residents work locally. Employers in Waukee added 3,907 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 7,507. In Waukee, 22% of workers work remotely from home. The top destinations are West Des Moines (25%), Des Moines (23%) and Urbandale (9%).
| Waukee | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 22% | 8.5% | 11% |
| Median household income | $101,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 8.2% | 31% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Trails run 8.6 miles in 11 parks and preserves. Among 139 Iowa towns, just 6 have a lower share of conserved land than Waukee.
| Waukee | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.8% | 3.1% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Fox Creek Park | 1.1 mi | 18 |
| 2. Painted Woods West Park | 0.5 mi | 8 |
| 3. Centennial Park | — | 35 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The property crime rate for Waukee comes to 6.2 per 1,000 residents. The rate of reported violence for Waukee comes to 1.4 per 1,000 residents.
| Waukee | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 6.2 per 1,000 residents | 7.4 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.4 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
In July, afternoons reach 85°; in January, nights fall to 13°, and about 37 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in two thirds of U.S. communities. Just over two fifths of Waukee’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by tornadoes at 30%. The town has had one paid flood insurance claim since 2015.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Waukee. Close and well known come first.
14 mi Stadium & arenaCasey's Center
14 mi MuseumIowa State Capitol20 mi Theme parkAdventureland
10 mi MuseumDes Moines Art Center
12 mi Stadium & arenaDrake Stadium
14 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
4 within 15 miles of the center of Waukee
About 4 of every 100 Waukee residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
Where Waukee’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
4 notable people were born in Waukee.
3 towns share a border with Waukee.
| Town | IA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waukee | #36 | A− | C− | B+ | A | A |
| Clive | #49 | A− | C | B− | B+ | A |
| West Des Moines | #58 | B+ | C | C+ | B+ | A |
| Van Meter | — | — | B+ | A+ | A+ | A |
Van Meter has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Compare Waukee with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Waukee grades A− overall, better than 84% of U.S. towns and #36 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−.
Waukee was laid out in 1869 and has 1 place on the National Register of Historic Places. 4 notable people were born here, including Payton Sandfort and Matt Nickell.
