Urbandale is the suburb that has had decades to figure itself out. Walkable downtown core, established neighborhoods, parks and trails everywhere, and schools in both the Urbandale and Waukee districts. If you're considering a move to Urbandale, here's the honest assessment from someone who works this market daily.
You'll love Urbandale if you...
The Urbandale Community School District serves 4,208 students (2024-25, NCES Common Core of Data).
For specific school-level performance metrics, the Iowa Department of Education's School Performance Profiles tool is the most current objective source. I also keep a separate deep-dive on Urbandale schools if you want every detail.
Urbandale has several distinct sub-markets, each with its own character: Highlands, Lakeshore, Walnut Hills, Polk City Road area, Cobble Creek. Each has different pricing, character, and target buyer. For specific neighborhood guidance, I work through this individually during the buyer consultation.
10-15 minutes to West Des Moines or downtown Des Moines on I-35/80.
Urbandale incorporated on April 16, 1917, and it is home to Living History Farms, a 500-acre outdoor museum on Hickman Road. Its sites include a 1700 Ioway farm, an 1850 pioneer farm, a 1900 horse-powered farm and the 1876 Town of Walnut Hill.
The city counts 55-plus parks and more than 50 miles of trails. Walker Johnston Park, at 9000 Douglas Avenue, has a fishing pond, skate park, pickleball courts and a mapped 5K route from its shelter. The Urbandale Public Library, founded in 1961, has been in its 56,000-square-foot building on the city campus since 2000. Each Fourth of July, a volunteer-run celebration centers on Lions Park and includes a 2-mile parade. The city's trail map is the quickest way to see which route passes closest to a given home. If Johnston is also on your list, my side-by-side of how Urbandale and Johnston compare covers parks, district lines, and drive distances.
Prices move month to month, so I keep a dated market snapshot on the Urbandale area page and pull live MLS comps for any home you are serious about. Days on market vary by price point and neighborhood; I pull the current figure for your price range before we write an offer. To pin down that price range first, my guide to how much house you can afford in Urbandale walks through income, debt, down payment, and property taxes.
For a current snapshot of Urbandale inventory + pricing, I send a free monthly Central Iowa market report. Subscribe at Jackson's Hub.
Whether you're a first-time buyer, a move-up family, or a relocation buyer evaluating Urbandale for the first time, I can walk through what your specific budget gets you here vs. competing communities. No pressure, no sales pitch - just the numbers and the honest reality of the market.
Jackson Krile is a REALTOR® on the Flanders Team at RE/MAX Real Estate Center. Licensed in Iowa #S66867000. DMAAR + CIBR member. Serving Central Iowa.
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