Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Windsor Heights's schools rank behind 96% of the state's. Overall it grades C−, 119th of 140 graded towns in Iowa. The median household earns $92K and CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 78% of the country. Its weakest subject is safety: its police reported 4 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, a higher rate per resident than 89% of U.S. towns. Windsor Heights’ property crime rate is 43.4 per 1,000 residents, above both Iowa’s towns (7.2) and U.S. towns (9.9). On cost of living, just 9 of Iowa’s 276 towns do worse. Windsor Heights's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 85% of U.S. towns.
Where Windsor Heights beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | Windsor Heights | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.3% | 12% |
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Clive Learning Academy | PK–6 | 551 |
| Cowles Elementary School | PK–8 | 392 |
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Windsor Heights is from typical.
Its grades run from A for jobs and income (better than 92% of comparable towns) to D− for schools (better than 4%), so the C− overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,414 in 1950, 5,252 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 4 maps from 1905 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Windsor Heights. Close and well known come first.
5 mi Stadium & arenaCasey's Center
6 mi MuseumIowa State Capitol12 mi Theme parkAdventureland
2 mi MuseumDes Moines Art Center
3 mi Stadium & arenaDrake Stadium
8 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 Windsor Heights, 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 Windsor Heights.
Windsor Heights has an unusually large share working from home, but it reports property crime at 4 times the Iowa rate and has many renters stretched by housing costs.
Its two schools are below. The West Des Moines Community School District runs its public schools. Public school enrollment in Windsor Heights: 943 students across 2 schools.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clive Learning AcademyLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 551 | C− |
| Cowles Elementary SchoolTop results in townGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 392 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
Trails total 1.0 miles in 2 parks and preserves. Windsor Heights’ trail density stands at 0.7 miles per square mile. Parks and preserves here: 2, covering 12 acres.
| Windsor Heights | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.7 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.5% | 3.1% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Colby Park | 0.6 mi | 11 |
| 2. Lions Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Property crime runs at 43.4 per 1,000 residents, 4 times the Iowa rate, most of it theft.
In Windsor Heights, the rate of reported violence is 0.8 per 1,000 residents.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The share of adults in Windsor Heights who smoke cigarettes: 12%. In Windsor Heights, 20% of adults binge drink, and 22% get no exercise outside work.
| Windsor Heights | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 15% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 20% | 16% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 26% | 25% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 32% | 36% |
| What stands out | Windsor Heights | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.3% | 12% |
| Fewer smokers | 11.5% | 14.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
A winter brings about 37 inches of snow, with January nights at 13° and July afternoons at 85°.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
62.1% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 43.9% across Iowa. The median property tax bill is $4,732, against $2,897 across Iowa, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The typical Windsor Heights home is worth about $285,000, up 1.4% in a year, 20% above the Iowa typical home. On the market locally: a median 4 days to sell. Windsor Heights: 79% of households own their home.
| Windsor Heights | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,498 a month | $909 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 79% | 70% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
22.1% of workers work from home, against 11.3% across Iowa.
Most working residents leave Windsor Heights for work: only 3% work in town. Windsor Heights’ mean commuting time comes in at 14 minutes. The top destinations are Des Moines (34%), West Des Moines (18%) and Urbandale (8%). 6.2% of residents live below the poverty line in the town.
| Windsor Heights | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 2.8% | 31% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 14 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 6.2% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $92,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Federal aid has come to Windsor Heights households in 7 declared disasters; the latest was in 2024. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in three fifths of U.S. communities. Since 1986, Windsor Heights has seen 13 flood insurance claims paid out. 61% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by tornadoes at 16%.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
6 within 15 miles of the center of Windsor Heights
About 3 of every 100 Windsor Heights residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
City in the United States
Windsor Heights is a city in Walnut Township, Polk County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,252 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Windsor Heights.
| Town | IA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windsor Heights | #119 | C− | C | D | D− | A− |
| Clive | #49 | A− | C | B− | B+ | A |
| West Des Moines | #58 | B+ | C | C+ | B+ | A |
| Des Moines | #134 | D | B− | D | D− | C |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Windsor Heights grades C− overall, better than 18% of U.S. towns and #119 of 140 in Iowa. It grades A− for health, D for safety and D− for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a D−.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
