Photo: Wikipedia
Demographics of Ankeny, IA
Affluence Level in Ankeny, IA
An upper-middle-class area. Household wealth, education levels, and homeownership run ahead of national benchmarks.
People of Ankeny, IA
The people of Ankeny, Iowa, today number roughly 70,542, forming a predominantly white (88.0%), highly educated (53.2% college-educated) suburban community with a notably small foreign-born population (2.9%). The city’s identity is shaped by its rapid post-1965 growth as a Des Moines bedroom community, a history of agricultural and manufacturing roots, and a present-day character that is family-oriented, politically conservative, and increasingly affluent. Distinctive markers include a strong sense of local boosterism centered on the Ankeny school district and a population that is overwhelmingly native-born, with Hispanic (4.0%), Black (1.9%), East/Southeast Asian (1.6%), and Indian-subcontinent (1.4%) communities each forming small but visible enclaves.
How the city was settled and grew
Ankeny’s founding population arrived in the 1870s, drawn by the construction of the Des Moines & Fort Dodge Railroad. The town was platted in 1875 and named after John Ankeny, a railroad official. The earliest settlers were primarily Yankee and German-origin farmers who took advantage of the fertile Iowa soil and the rail link to Des Moines. The original town center, now known as Old Town Ankeny (centered on SW 3rd Street and SW State Street), was built by these families and remains a historic district with late-19th-century commercial buildings. A second wave of population came in the 1910s–1930s, driven by the establishment of the Ankeny Ordnance Works (later the Des Moines Army Ammunition Plant) during World War I. This brought a small influx of skilled workers and managers, many of whom settled in the North Ankeny area near the plant. The city remained a small agricultural service center through the 1950s, with a population of just 1,900 in 1950. The dominant groups were white Protestants of German and Scandinavian descent, with a tiny Catholic minority from Irish and German immigration.
Modern era (post-1965)
The Hart-Cellar Immigration Act of 1965 had minimal direct impact on Ankeny, as the city’s foreign-born population remains very low (2.9%). Instead, the post-1965 era was defined by explosive domestic in-migration from other parts of Iowa and the Midwest, driven by the expansion of the Des Moines metropolitan area. The construction of Interstate 35 in the 1970s made Ankeny a prime commuter suburb, and the population surged from 9,151 in 1970 to 70,542 by 2024. The Prairie Trail development, a master-planned community launched in the 2000s, absorbed much of this growth, attracting young families and professionals with its mix of single-family homes, townhouses, and a neo-traditional town center. The Westwood neighborhood, built in the 1980s and 1990s, became a hub for upper-middle-class families, while Hazelwood and Stonecrest subdivisions drew a mix of middle-class and blue-collar residents. The small Hispanic community (4.0%) is concentrated in the South Ankeny area near the industrial corridor, often working in construction, landscaping, and food processing. The East/Southeast Asian community (1.6%) and Indian-subcontinent community (1.4%) are more dispersed, with many professionals employed at the nearby John Deere Des Moines Works or in Des Moines’ insurance and finance sectors. The Black population (1.9%) is small and largely integrated into newer subdivisions like Prairie Trail. No single ethnic enclave dominates; the city remains highly segregated by income rather than race, with the wealthiest families concentrated in the newer western and northern subdivisions.
The future
Ankeny’s population is projected to continue growing, potentially reaching 90,000–100,000 by 2040, driven by ongoing suburban expansion and the annexation of surrounding farmland. The demographic trajectory points toward modest diversification, but the city is likely to remain overwhelmingly white and native-born. The Hispanic and East/Southeast Asian communities are growing slowly through natural increase and limited new immigration, while the Indian-subcontinent population is plateauing as professionals age in place. The city is not tribalizing into distinct ethnic enclaves; instead, it is homogenizing into a broadly white, conservative, family-oriented suburb with small, assimilating minority groups. The Prairie Trail area will continue to attract younger, college-educated families, while Old Town Ankeny may see gentrification as empty-nesters and professionals seek historic homes. New developments on the city’s northern and eastern edges, such as the North Ankeny corridor, will absorb most future growth, likely attracting a similar demographic profile to existing residents.
For a conservative-leaning individual or family moving to Ankeny now, the city offers a stable, predominantly white, highly educated, and family-focused environment with low crime and strong schools. The population is becoming slightly more diverse but remains culturally homogeneous, with no significant ethnic or political tensions. The next 10–20 years will see continued growth and affluence, but the city’s demographic character will change slowly, if at all.
* Values derived from national, state, county, city and local statistics and may differ in a specific area. Last updated: 2026-04-24T12:23:09.000Z
Narrative content on this page is AI-generated and may contain mistakes. Verify any details that matter before acting on them.
ReloMaps may earn a commission from affiliate links at no extra cost to you.
