Population
1,628
+46.1% since 2010
Typical home
$425K
+1.1% in a year
Household income
$135K
median
Jobs based here
422
A commuter town
What makes Van Meter stand out The 3 things Van Meter does most differently from other towns.
A growing town Van Meter has grown 46.1% since 2010 1,016 people in 2010; 1,628 today.
What’s changed most in Van Meter? 1,016 2010
1,484 2020
1,628 Today
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 · ACS
Residents weigh in
Live in Van Meter? Is an A+ for its schools right?
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Is Van Meter still affordable for young families? → What do families love about Van Meter’s schools? → Where do you go to stay active in Van Meter? → How do you get to work from Van Meter? →
Upcoming events
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The data Ordered by what stands out in Van Meter. Another town gets a different order.
Housing
A typical Van Meter home is worth about $425K The typical Van Meter home is worth about $425,000, up 1.1% in a year, 78% above the Iowa typical home.
$425K Zillow home value
Typical home value Van Meter $425K
Iowa $240K
Market temperature
Seller’s market A strong seller's market Buyer’s Seller’s +1.1%
value change, 1 year
Schools
Van Meter’s public schools outperform 98% of Iowa districts The public schools Van Meter’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 98% of Iowa’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.
A+ School Grade
Safety
Less crime per resident than 97% of U.S. towns Van Meter reports less crime per resident than 97% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.
A+ Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents Van Meter 0.5
Iowa 2.4
U.S. 3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents Van Meter 1
Iowa 12
U.S. 15.5
97th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
97th
percentile among IA towns
1
violent crimes reported in 2025
2
property crimes reported in 2025
Health
Healthier than 94% of U.S. towns Van Meter beats the Iowa average on 19 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1.
A Health Grade
32 measures vs. Iowa
What stands out Van Meter IA Fewer adults facing food insecurity 6.5% 12% Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth 6.7% 11.6% Fewer adults treating high blood pressure 73.9% 77.8%
Madison County Health Care System
14.1 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
99th
percentile among IA towns
Work & commute
Most working residents commute out of Van Meter Most working residents leave Van Meter for work: only 2% work in town. The top destinations are West Des Moines (25%), Des Moines (21%) and Urbandale (9%). Half commute less than 13 miles.
2% work in town
Where working residents work In Van Meter 2%
West Des Moines 25%
Des Moines 21%
Urbandale 9%
Waukee 8%
13 mi
median commute distance
422
jobs based in Van Meter
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Climate
Four seasons, pleasant summers Van Meter has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 37 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
37″ snow a winter
Typical low → high °F Winter 16–34°
Spring 39–61°
Summer 62–83°
Fall 41–63°
Oct 20
typical first frost
+0.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
Natural hazards
Low risk, with inland flooding at the top Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 39% of U.S. communities.
39 risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
39 Low risk Lower Higher Inland flooding Tornadoes Drought
2
paid flood claims since 2025
3
federal disasters paid out here
Outdoors
0.9% of Van Meter is conserved land 1.1 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves.
0.9% conserved
Green: conserved land · dashed: trails · numbers: the places below 0.9%
conserved · 25 of 2,847 acres
1.1 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
Biggest places to walk Trails Acres 1. Van Meter Recreation Complex 0.5 mi 53 2. Trindle Park 0.1 mi 24 3. Johnson Park — 7
A commuter town 98% of working residents leave Van Meter for work Where Van Meter’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
25% → West Des Moines West Des Moines 25%
21% → Des Moines Des Moines 21%
9% → Urbandale Urbandale 9%
8% → Waukee Waukee 8%
5% → Clive Clive 5%
4% → Johnston Johnston 4%
Van Meter · 2% stay
422 jobs based in Van Meter
2% of working residents work in town
13 mi median commute distance
How do you get to work from Van Meter?
Census LEHD 2023
1907 · Rock Island Depot · Wikimedia Commons
Van Meter’s story
157 years in pictures
8 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 1 places on the National Register.
Explore the history →
Famous people from Van Meter 4 notable people were born in Van Meter.
See all 4 → About Van Meter City in Iowa, United States
Van Meter is a city in Dallas County, Iowa, United States, situated along the Raccoon River. The population was 1,484 at the time of the 2020 census. Van Meter is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia , licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Established 1869
Population 1,484
Area 2.0 sq mi
Elevation 873 ft
ZIP code 50261 
