Ankeny, IA vs West Des Moines, IA: Crime Rate Comparison (2025)
A side-by-side look at reported crime in Ankeny and West Des Moines, on the FBI-based Crime Index (0–100, higher = safer) for 2025.
Ankeny is the safer city
Ankeny scores 85/100 (grade B) versus 82/100 (grade B) for West Des Moines — a 3-point gap. West Des Moines's violent-crime rate is in line with Ankeny. Across the 8 offense categories, Ankeny has the lower rate in 5.
Ankeny, IA
SaferCrime Index
- Population
- 78,916
- Violent / 100k
- 151
- Property / 100k
- 1,029
- In Iowa
- #2 of 11
West Des Moines, IA
Crime Index
- Population
- 74,901
- Violent / 100k
- 146
- Property / 100k
- 1,527
- In Iowa
- #3 of 11
Crime rates head-to-head
| Metric | Ankeny | West Des Moines | US average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Index (higher = safer) | 85B | 82B | 73C |
| Violent crime /100k | 151 | 146 | 315 |
| Property crime /100k | 1,029 | 1,527 | 1,487 |
| Homicide /100k | 0 | 0 | 4.1 |
| Total reported /100k | 1,180 | 1,673 | 1,802 |
Grade shown per index band (88–100 = A … 0–29 = F). Rates are reported offenses per 100,000 residents.
By offense
Rate per 100,000 residents — the lower (safer) city is highlighted.
| Offense | Ankeny | West Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Homicide | 0 | 0 |
| Rape | 39.3 | 20 |
| Robbery | 8.9 | 6.7 |
| Aggravated assault | 103 | 119 |
| Burglary | 65.9 | 131 |
| Larceny-theft | 906 | 1,282 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 57 | 112 |
| Arson | 0 | 2.7 |
Crime trends
Ankeny
West Des Moines
Frequently asked questions
Is Ankeny or West Des Moines safer?
Which has more violent crime, Ankeny or West Des Moines?
What are the odds of violent crime in Ankeny vs West Des Moines?
No area has zero risk
A high Crime Index score means lower reported crime relative to other US cities — it is not a guarantee of safety. Reported crime is not the same as actual crime. Research on the gap between crime that occurs and crime that gets reported to police — often called the "dark figure" of crime — estimates that roughly 40% of violent crime and about a third of property crime go unreported each year. Every index built on official statistics, including this one, necessarily undercounts real crime. That gap is exactly why homicide — the offense with the smallest dark figure — anchors the calculation instead of a more commonly reported but less reliable category like theft.
Scores on this page reflect FBI-reported data for 2025. See the full methodology →
Protecting yourself in Ankeny & West Des Moines
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