Urbandale

Iowa’s original streetcar suburb is now the state’s 12th-largest city, home to a 500-acre living history museum and six distinct pockets of housing for just about every budget.

County: Primarily Polk County (small part in Dallas)
Population: 45,580 (2020 Census, US Census Bureau)
School district: Urbandale Community School District, Johnston Community School District
Commute: About 15mins citywide

Urbandale was incorporated back in 1917 as a streetcar stop on the line out of Des Moines, and a lot of today's DART bus routes still trace those old streetcar paths. What that history buys you now is range. The east side, near Merle Hay and downtown Urbandale, is the most affordable and walkable part of the city. The west side, out past 142nd Street, is where the new construction is happening. And in between, Walnut Creek and the 86th Street corridor hold some of the most stable, established housing in the whole metro.

Neighborhoods

Urbandale breaks down into a handful of clearly different pockets, each with its own price point and feel. There is a wide mix of established single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and apartment complexes.

Downtown Urbandale & Douglas Avenue Corridor:

Small-lot bungalows, post-war ranches, and modest two-stories from the 1920s through the 1960s, generally $200K to $300K. The city's original streetcar suburb, with the library, Lions Park, and Douglas Avenue shops and dining all in reach.

Walnut Creek & 86th Street Corridor:

Ranches, split-levels, and traditional two-stories from the 1960s through the 90s on large lots, roughly $300K to $480K. Established, mature, and low-turnover.

Northwest Urbandale:

The city's growth edge: new-construction villas, townhomes, and detached open-concept homes, with townhomes starting in the high $200Ks and detached new builds running $450K to $600K and up.

Housing:

Urbandale's housing stock gets noticeably newer as you move west: 1920s-1960s homes near downtown and Merle Hay, established 1960s-90s stock around Walnut Creek and 86th Street, and new construction out past 142nd Street toward the Waukee line.

Who Moves Here?

Niche grades the city an A overall, with an A for Jobs, an A for Nightlife, and an A for Good for Families. That tracks with some of the city's major employers, which include Marsh & McLennan Companies, MidAmerican Energy, John Deere Intelligent Solutions, UnityPoint at Home, Homemakers Furniture, and the Urbandale school district itself, alongside the U.S. Postal Service's local operations.

Schools

Most of Urbandale falls in the Urbandale Community School District: six elementary schools, one middle school, and Urbandale High School. Pieces of Urbandale fall under Dallas Center-Grimes, Des Moines, Johnston, Waukee, or West Des Moines schools, depending on the exact address. With all of these overlapping districts it’s important to always check which district a home falls in before you fall in love with it.

Urbandale High School:

The J-Hawks are known for competitive show choirs and has hosted an annual show choir competition since 1983.

Johnston

High School:

The Dragons are known for their award winning baseball program.

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Range: (American / Golf Bar)
- High-end sports-bar that shares its building with golf simulators, known for its grass-fed bison burger and game meats like elk and bison alongside the usual steaks and flatbreads..
Taki Japanese Steakhouse (Japanese / Hibachi & Sushi)
- A teppanyaki and sushi spot with the full tableside-grill show (fire included), big portions, and a kid-friendly chef performance, plus a solid sushi menu if you’d rather skip the show.
Chicken Coop (Sports Bar & Grill)
- A flame-broiled wing spot with 15 sauce options, a wall of TVs, and a business-lunch-by-day, families-by-night crowd.
Tito’s Lounge (Bosnian / Mediterranean / Bar)
- Lively neighborhood bar that goes well beyond typical bar food, think cevapi and a hummus-tzatziki-ajvar spread, plus daily happy hour and bottomless-mimosa weekend brunch.
The Urban Grill (American)
- Classy-but-casual, family-owned spot serving steaks, seafood, pasta, and ribs, with a neighborhood feel and a notably playful cocktail list.

Things To Do

Living History Farms is Urbandale's signature attraction: a history museum dedicated to showcasing rural heritage.

It recreates Iowa farm life across three eras. Take one of their tours, or a historic skills class such as butter churning.

For a rainy-day or wintertime options, Get Air Trampoline Park has wall-to-wall trampolines, foam pits, and activity zones.

Walker Johnston Park, on Douglas Avenue, is the city's most-used family park: playgrounds, a fishing pond, a skate park, pickleball courts, and a new public access point to North Walnut Creek that opened in October 2025 with an accessible trail and outdoor classroom.

Market Insight

Buyers

Buyers should weigh whether they actually want Urbandale’s suburban, highway-connected, park-and-trail lifestyle over a walkable core, budget around the citywide median of $350,388 (Zillow) while knowing that number swings a lot by neighborhood, and confirm the exact school zone for any specific home, since Urbandale touches more overlapping districts than anywhere else in this market.

Sellers

Urbandale's six-plus distinct pockets mean the sales pitch really does change block by block. In Parkview and east Urbandale, buyers are comparing on price and commute, so a renovated kitchen or bath can be the difference-maker on an older home. In Walnut Creek and the 86th Street corridor, buyers already expect space and mature trees, so lean into lot size and updated systems over cosmetics. In northwest Urbandale, you're competing directly against new construction, so open floor plans, current finishes, and low-maintenance exteriors matter more than character.

Steven's Spots

Start with a vanilla latte from Twisted Bean, go for a run at Walker Johnston Park, spend the morning at Living History Farms with the kids, and close it out with dinner and the golf simulator at Range.