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Top 50 rank: 22
Population: 14,945
Waukee is one of the fastest-growing communities in the state -- no surprise given its supply of affordable homes (median home prices well below $200,000) and a school district known for excellent extracurricular programs.
The town recently committed to $50 million in new development projects, including an expansion of a major road corridor and renovations to several areas downtown. --H.L.
Waukee, IA
Town stats
| Median family income (per year) | $87,070 |
| Job growth % (2010-2012) | 10.71% |
| Median home price (2012) | $179,000 |
| Reading test scores (% above/below average) | 12.4% |
| Math test scores (% above/below average) | 10.2% |
| Personal crime incidents (per 1,000) | 1 |
| Property crime incidents (per 1,000) | 12 |
Financials | |
| Median family income (per year) | $87,070 |
| Family purchasing power (annual, cost-of-living adjusted) | $96,455 |
| Sales tax | 6.00% |
| State income tax rate (highest bracket) | 8.98%I |
| State income tax rate (lowest bracket) | 0.36%I |
| Auto insurance premiums (Average price quotes, for the state) | $1,394 |
| Job growth % (2010-2012) | 10.71% |
Financials
Housing |
| Median home price (2012) | $179,000 |
| Average property taxes(2012) | $3,382 |
Housing
Education |
| Colleges, universities and professional schools (within 30 miles) | 9 |
| Reading test scores (% above/below state average) | 12.4% |
| Test scores math (% above/below average) | 10.2% |
| % students attending public/private schools (located within town limits) | 100.0/0.0 |
Education
Quality of life |
| Air quality index* (% of days AQI ranked as good) | N.A. |
| Personal crime incidents (per 1,000) | 1 |
| Property crime incidents (per 1,000) | 12 |
| Median commute time (in minutes) | 19.6 |
| % population with commute 45 mins. or longer | 4.5% |
| % population walk or bike to work | 1.3% |
Quality of life
Leisure and culture |
| Movie theaters (within 15 miles) | 14 |
| Restaurants (within 15 miles) | 943 |
| Bars (within 15 miles) | 194 |
| Public golf courses (within 30 miles) | 48 |
| Libraries (within 15 miles) | 29 |
| Museums (accredited by AAM; within 30 miles) | 1 |
| Ski resorts (within 100 miles) | N.A. |
| Arts funding (Dollars per person of state funds spent on arts) | 0.4 |
Leisure and culture
Weather |
| Annual rainfall (inches) | 34.72 |
| % clear days in the area | 55% |
| High temp in July ° F | 86° |
| Low temp in Jan ° F | 11.7° |
Weather
Meet the neighbors |
| Median age | 31.3 |
| Completed at least some college (% of residents) | 72.6% |
| Married % | 67.5% |
| Divorced % | 7.6% |
| Racial diversity index (100 is national average; higher numbers indicate greater diversity) | 22.0 |
Meet the neighbors
