Why is Ankeny, IA ranked among the best places to live in the U.S.

ENC News 13 Nov 2026

As the costs of living and career priorities shift across the country, finding a city where your paycheck buys the lifestyle you want is becoming challenging. To spotlight the metro areas offering the best overall return on everyday life, U.S. News & World Report evaluated 859 cities for its 2026–2027 rankings.

And Ankeny, IA is ranked among the best places to live in the U.S. as it successfully balances housing affordability, job growth, safety, and quality of life.

About 78,414 people live in Ankeny, and the median age here is 34.8.

What’s the cost of living in Ankeny, IA?

The cost of living can be a huge factor in determining whether to move somewhere, especially housing costs. While home and rent prices vary based on square footage, location and other factors, it can be helpful to know how the cost of housing in an area compares to other locales.

The national average home value is $359,870, while the median home value in Ankeny is $331,417.

And if you’re a renter, you can expect the median rent here to be $1,094.

Ankeny offers a lower cost of living than similarly sized metro areas when you compare housing costs to median household income.

Top Real Estate Agents in Ankeny, IA

Ankeny’s top real estate agents – Kyle Clarkson, 22 years of experience; Shane Torres, 17 years of experience; Ingrid Williams, 17 years of experience – will help choose the most suitable option for buying or renting a house or apartment.

What’s the weather like in Ankeny, IA?

The hot season in Ankeny lasts for 3.8 months, from May 26 to September 19, with an average daily high temperature above 75°F. The hottest month of the year in Ankeny is July, with an average high of 86°F and low of 66°F.

The cold season lasts for 3.1 months, from November 28 to March 1, with an average daily high temperature below 43°F. The coldest month of the year in Ankeny is January, with an average low of 16°F and high of 33°F.

Precipitation

The chance of wet days in Ankeny varies significantly throughout the year.

The wetter season lasts 5.7 months, from April 5 to September 25, with a greater than 26% chance of a given day being a wet day. The month with the most wet days in Ankeny is June, with an average of 12.8 days with at least 0.04 inches of precipitation.

The drier season lasts 6.3 months, from September 25 to April 5. The month with the fewest wet days in Ankeny is January, with an average of 2.9 days with at least 0.04 inches of precipitation.

What’s the best way to get around Ankeny, IA?

Whether you have a vehicle and enjoy cruising on the open road, or you prefer living in a city with walkability and public transportation, how you get around town is a major part of what it’s like to live somewhere. It’s also important to consider how long it takes to travel to various points of interest in town.

You’ll definitely want to take a close look at your work commute, whether by car or public transportation, if you will be going back and forth every day. The average commute time in Ankeny is 20.8 minutes, which is less than the national average.

In Ankeny, 83.5% of commuters drive to work, while 0.3% use public transportation. Another 1.0% walk to work, and 0.1% ride a bike.

Who lives in Ankeny, IA?

Finding a community to be part of can play a major role in making a place feel like home. If you’re a parent with young children, you may want to live in a neighborhood with other people in that phase of life.

If you’re a professional moving to a hot job market for your field, you may want to live in an apartment close to the office or within walking distance of friends and colleagues.

There are about 78,414 people living in Ankeny. Of that population, 27% are under age 20, 15% are 25-34 years old, 15% are 35-44 and 22% are 45-65. About 14% of the Ankeny population is over age 65.

Will you find love in your new city? There are fewer single people in Ankeny than the national average. 56.9% of the Ankeny population is married, and 43.1% is single.

What’s the job market like in Ankeny, IA?

Are there work opportunities in your field where you live, or are you exploring other places that offer these opportunities? An area’s job market can be an indicator of the quality of life there.