Cities

This guide helps users understand the cities in Polk County by population size. It is designed for people comparing local communities, researching where people live in the county, or checking population patterns before looking at housing, public services, schools, commuting areas, or local records. The table below lists each place from the reference data in descending order by population, with city names shown without the state abbreviation.

Polk County Cities by Population

Polk County includes a wide range of cities, from large urban centers to smaller communities. Des Moines is the largest population center in the county, with a population of 210,381. It serves as the main anchor for many regional services, employment areas, neighborhoods, and government-related needs.

Several other cities also have significant populations. West Des Moines ranks second with 68,723 residents, followed closely by Ankeny with 67,887 residents. These larger cities are important for users researching residential areas, business locations, commuting patterns, or public service coverage across Polk County.

Major Population Centers in Polk County

The largest communities in Polk County are concentrated around the Des Moines metropolitan area. Des Moines, West Des Moines, Ankeny, Urbandale, Johnston, Altoona, Clive, and Grimes all appear among the higher-population places. These cities are often searched by users who need local information tied to addresses, property records, ZIP Codes, county services, or community planning.

Population size can also help users understand how a place may compare in terms of housing density, public facilities, road networks, and local service demand. Larger cities may have more neighborhoods and public offices, while smaller places may be easier to search by name but may have fewer local service points.

Smaller Communities and Local Places

Polk County also includes smaller communities such as Polk City, Windsor Heights, Carlisle, Mitchellville, and Granger. These places may have smaller populations, but they remain important for residents searching for local addresses, municipal information, nearby services, and county-level records.

While the largest cities account for most of the county’s population, smaller cities remain important for local government services, residential development, schools, and community planning.

Cities in Polk County by Population

City	Population
Des Moines	210,381
West Des Moines	68,723
Ankeny	67,887
Urbandale	45,580
Johnston	24,064
Altoona	19,565
Clive	18,601
Grimes	15,392
Norwalk	12,799
Pleasant Hill	10,147
Bondurant	7,365
Polk City	5,543
Windsor Heights	5,252
Carlisle	4,160
Mitchellville	2,485
Granger	1,654