This City Was Named the Fastest Growing in All of Iowa

Months ago, I took a look at the richest city in the state of Iowa, which turned out to be Robins, IA. After stumbling upon a Red Fin article regarding rapidly growing cities in the Hawkeye State, I figured it was time to switch gears and look at a town people are moving to in droves.

Per Red Fin, the fastest-growing city in Iowa is Ankeny. Ankeny is a northern suburb of Des Moines, and it is its own beacon of culture and activity, with a plethora of things to do for locals and visitors:

Many people call Ankeny home because of the handful of parks, including Ankeny Miracle Park, Hawkeye Park, and Sawgrass Park. While exploring Ankeny, locals are drawn to a diverse arts and entertainment scene with museums like Ankeny Art Center and entertainment venues such as Ankeny Community Theatre. There are also a number of delicious restaurants to fill you up like Yanni’s Grill & Vineyard, Jethro’s BBQ n’ LakeHouse, and District 36 Wine Bar & Grille.

At this time, Ankeny has a population of just over 70,000 people, and that has increased by about 13% since 2017. The median sale price for a home is roughly $325,000; monthly rent on a two-bedroom apartment is going to run you somewhere in the realm of $1,500.

As a student of Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC), my girlfriend spent a lot of time in Ankeny. She's always sung the praises of the town, which is underscored by a bevy of things to do, places to eat, and hot-spots to frequent. I've yet to experience Ankeny myself, let alone Des Moines, but I'm not far off from my first visit!

Dubuque was Recognized as a Fast-Growing City Too!:

Red Fin ranked six cities in Iowa by how robust they've been growing over the last several years. These cities followed behind #1-ranked Ankeny:

• West Des Moines (Median sale price: $305,000; Average rent for a 2-bedroom apartment: $965)
• Urbandale (Median sale price: $339,455; Average rent for a 2-bedroom apartment: $1,622)
• Sioux City (Median sale price: $220,000; Average rent for a 2-bedroom apartment: $950)
• Cedar Rapids (Median sale price: $192,000; Average rent for a 2-bedroom apartment: $870)
• Dubuque (Median sale price: $199,000)

According to Red Fin, Dubuque has grown 1% in population since 2017, and noted in its write-up is all the culture that can be found in the Hawkeye State's oldest city:

Taking the last spot on our list is Dubuque, IA, which is best known for being the first city in the United States to be designated as a UNESCO City of Media Arts. You’ll find a lot of unique activities in Dubuque, such as trying delicious food at 1st & Main, Brazen Open Kitchen, and Copper Kettle, visiting a museum like the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium, playing sports at Eagle Point Park, Louis Murphy Park, and Washington Park, or catching an event at The Lift, Smokestack, and Five Flags Center.

Check out the full list on Red Fin's website!