Population 28,868 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Waukee
Household size in Waukee
| Period | Waukee | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.56 | 2.51 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.72 | 2.56 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.64 | 2.55 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.52 | 2.52 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.04 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Waukee run a little small, averaging 2.52 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Since 2006–10, household size has edged down from 2.56, in line with the national trend. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the southwest.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Waukee
| Period | Waukee | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.7 | 36.2 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 33.4 | 36.7 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 33.4 | 37.2 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 35.5 | 37.6 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.8 | +1.4 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
Waukee is young: half of its residents are under 35.5, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples. The median age has climbed from 32.7 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Waukee
| Period | Waukee | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.9% | 10.2% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.8% | 11.1% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.5% | 10.9% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.4% | 11.2% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | +3.5 pts | +0.9 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit less common in Waukee than nationally: 10.4%, against 11.6%. The Des Moines area as a whole looks much the same. The single-parent share is up 3.5 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Waukee
Renters in Waukee
| Period | Waukee | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.3% | 27.3% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 18.4% | 29.3% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.3% | 30.3% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 31.0% | 30.5% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | +17.7 pts | +3.2 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over three in ten households in Waukee rent their homes (31.0%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among owners, 23.2% have paid off their mortgages, well below the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the southeast and least common in the southwest. The renter share has risen 17.7 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Waukee
| Period | Waukee | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.2% | 7.7% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 4.4% | 7.2% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.2% | 7.2% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.7% | 7.0% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.5 pts | −0.7 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Waukee: just 4.7% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Vacancy is down 1.5 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Waukee has a lower vacancy rate than the great majority of Iowa cities.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Waukee
| Period | Waukee | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2000 | 1976 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 2000 | 1977 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 2004 | 1979 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 2008 | 1983 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +7 | +6 | +6 |
Waukee has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 2008, versus 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 2000 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Only one other Iowa city with 5,000+ people has newer homes.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Waukee
| Period | Waukee | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $761 | $808 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,070 | $899 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,293 | $986 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,424 | $1,210 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$663 | +$402 | +$351 | +$606 |
Rent in Waukee runs $1,424 a month at the median, utilities included, below the U.S. median of $1,571. Still, rents here are higher than in the Des Moines area overall ($1,210). Rent has climbed $663 a month since 2006–10, up 87%, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 27.4% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Waukee
Bachelor's degrees in Waukee
| Period | Waukee | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 53.6% | 33.6% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 49.9% | 35.5% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 57.1% | 37.1% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 58.4% | 40.3% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.8 pts | +6.6 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Waukee: 58.4% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 4.8 points, mirroring the country. Only two of the 98 Iowa cities with 5,000+ people have a higher share of college graduates.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Waukee
| Period | Waukee | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 95.7% | 91.9% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 96.9% | 92.8% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 97.7% | 92.7% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.6% | 92.9% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | −0.1 pts | +1.0 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Waukee: 95.6% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma has barely moved since 2006–10, while the national rate rose.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Waukee
| Period | Waukee | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.7% | 4.8% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 1.1% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.6% | 3.8% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.1% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Waukee has been strong: just 3.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Waukee compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waukee | 2.52 | 35.5 | 10.4% | 31.0% | 4.7% | 2008 | $1,424 | 58.4% | 95.6% | 3.1% |
| Clive | 2.77 | 39.0 | 11.7% | 28.6% | 5.3% | 1995 | $1,489 | 57.6% | 95.1% | 4.0% |
| West Des Moines | 2.30 | 37.8 | 8.1% | 42.2% | 6.7% | 1991 | $1,311 | 55.7% | 95.9% | 2.6% |
| Booneville | 2.52 | 39.3 | 12.0% | 23.2% | 5.0% | 2011 | $1,235 | 62.1% | 96.5% | 2.3% |
| Urbandale | 2.58 | 40.3 | 7.8% | 24.1% | 6.5% | 1989 | $1,300 | 51.1% | 93.8% | 2.9% |
| Grimes | 2.71 | 35.5 | 8.2% | 27.3% | 2.7% | 2007 | $1,187 | 54.3% | 99.2% | 1.8% |
| Dallas Center | 2.60 | 42.6 | 5.5% | 12.6% | 8.0% | 1981 | $1,139 | 37.3% | 96.5% | 0.5% |
| Van Meter | 2.91 | 40.7 | 3.8% | 12.2% | 1.8% | 1998 | $1,088 | 49.4% | 97.9% | 2.4% |
| Windsor Heights | 2.37 | 43.4 | 10.0% | 24.1% | 10.6% | 1960 | $1,539 | 45.5% | 98.3% | 2.0% |
| Adel | 2.70 | 38.9 | 3.4% | 26.6% | 3.0% | 1994 | $1,023 | 40.5% | 95.9% | 2.3% |
| Johnston | 2.80 | 38.5 | 11.3% | 29.0% | 5.6% | 2003 | $1,493 | 57.4% | 96.3% | 2.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: DeSmet, NM · Soddy-Daisy, TN · Silver Bell, AZ · Glassboro, NJ · Franklin Square, NY · Franklin, OH · Festus, MO · Ennis, TX · Eagle River, AK · Duncan, OK
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Waukee. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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