Considering a move to Ankeny? You're in good company — it's one of the fastest-growing cities in Iowa, and people keep coming for the schools, the safety, the new-build housing, and a 15-minute drive to downtown Des Moines. Here's the straight story on what to expect, from someone who actually lives here.
Ankeny's 2024 Special Census officially confirmed 76,207 residents — more than 8,000 added since the 2020 Census, making it the 5th-largest city in Iowa. It sits about 12 miles north of downtown Des Moines on I-35, so you get a real small-city feel with the whole metro (jobs, the airport, big events) a short drive away.
Ankeny is a new-construction town — a big share of sales are brand-new homes, and builders are most active on the north and east sides. Recent 2026 figures from county records:
We track these monthly on the Ankeny housing dashboard. Figures are point-in-time and move with the market.
The Ankeny Community School District is one of the largest and fastest-growing in Iowa, with two big comprehensive high schools — Ankeny High and Ankeny Centennial — plus a steady pipeline of new elementary and middle schools as the town grows. Ankeny is also home to the main campus of DMACC (Des Moines Area Community College), one of the state's largest two-year colleges, with trades, transfer, and career programs right in town.
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Subscribe free →Day to day, Ankeny punches above its size. You're ten minutes from a 26,000-acre lake and on one of the best paved-trail networks in the country (the High Trestle Trail bridge is a genuine bucket-list ride). Uptown and The District at Prairie Trail give you walkable breweries, restaurants, and a summer events calendar — Beats & Eats, the Saturday farmers market, SummerFest. Start here: