Indianapolis, IN vs Waukee, IA

Side-by-side comparison of housing, income, commute, safety, and quality of life.

Score Snapshot

No universal winner

Scores summarize the published model. Use the objective metric differences below and your own priorities to choose.

Indianapolis

73.5

#722 nationally

vs

Waukee

77.3

#263 nationally

Waukee leads in median household income ($106,846 vs $54,321). Waukee leads in average commute (19.6 min vs 24.1 min). Indianapolis leads in cost of living index (89 vs 106).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric Indianapolis, IN Waukee, IA
WhereAtHome Score 73.5 (#722) 77.3 (#263)
Population 887,642 31,645
Typical Home Value (ZHVI) $232,142 $343,274
Median Household Income $54,321 $106,846
Average Commute 24.1 min 19.6 min
Walk Score 31 N/A
Crime Level Moderate-High 3.9
School Rating 5.8 N/A
Cost of Living Index 89 106
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored D+27.7 R+4.8

Data coverage note: Waukee is missing data for 1 metric that Indianapolis has. Scores with less coverage are penalized — see our methodology.