Iowa Real Estate & Relocation Guide

West Des Moines, Iowa

Population: 46,403

Located in Polk County

West Des Moines, originally incorporated as Valley Junction, is the fastest growing suburb in the Greater Des Moines area. Situated directly west of the city, I-235 has brought extensive business, commercial and residential growth to this area. West Des Moines encompasses the greatest amount of square area outside the city. Because of its own early origins, West Des Moines is the only community that has its own street numbering system, which does not follow from Des Moines.

Big business employers of this city include West Des Moines Community Schools, the City of West Des Moines, the State of Iowa, and Polk County which employ several thousand central Iowans. Nearly 25 percent of the City of West Des Moines¹ 53,400 jobs are in education, health, social services, professional and scientific categories, areas that are considered more resilient in times of economic decline.

The City has been very successful attracting businesses through its Community and Economic Development Department and partnerships with the West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce, Dallas County Development Corporation, and Des Moines Partnership.

In 2004, the Wells Fargo Home Mortgage campus was placed in West Des Moines, and Site Selection magazine called it one of the top ten economic development projects of the year. That same year, Jordan Creek Town Center was built. A regional retail and entertainment center, Jordan Creek saw 24 million visitors in 2007. Several mixed use retail/commercial/residential/office projects have followed, and West Des Moines has since become a premier retail destination. In 2008, West Des Moines had the honor of representing the City at a booth during the International Council on Shopping Centers conference, one of the main sources for retail development in the nation.

Also in 2008, Aviva - the world's fifth largest insurance company - announced the placement of its U.S. headquarters in West Des Moines. That facility is currently under construction. West Des Moines has expansive, attractive office parks in the city that have brought the daytime population to well over 117,000.

West Des Moines has been named the city government most conducive to business by the Des Moines Business Record for the last ten years. This is the only city to have received the award in the Des Moines metro area.

In October 2008, SmartMoney featured an article entitled "Home Prices: Now for the Good News," designating West Des Moines as a strong real estate market compared to other cities nationwide. Through an examination of economic forecasts, analysis of cities, and discussions with housing experts, SmartMoney identified seven metropolitan areas that looked particularly promising, given the struggling market. Des Moines was identified as a strong metropolitan area, and West Des Moines was noted to be particularly strong.

Furthermore, Business Week released its 2009 list of the ³Top 10 Affordable Suburbs.² The ranking, which also includes a list of the best suburbs by state, calls out the ten most affordable suburbs across the nation that "offer the lowest crime rate, finest schools, and best quality of life for the dollar." Placing West Des Moines at eighth in the nation. BusinessWeek affirmed that quality of life is strong in West Des Moines.

The residents and newcomers enjoy a wide mix of housing options, ranging from single-family and multi-family homes, to million dollar estates. Approximately 35 percent of the West Des Moines population lives in multi-family housing, with 50 percent in single-family homes, to include detached town homes. West Des Moines has a good mix of historic, affordable, and upscale neighborhoods. Some city neighborhoods were established in the 1940s and 1950s and are attracting younger families for their safety, comfort and natural surroundings. Schools, parks, trails, the library, and shopping are all within close reach for all residents.

Schools are a big draw in West Des Moines. There are three public school districts here, with the largest as West Des Moines Community School district (WDMCS), serving more than 8,800 students, and includes eight elementary schools, one early childhood center, two junior highs, and three high schools, including a freshman high school and an alternative high school. Schools are a big draw in West Des Moines. While we are part of three public school districts, the largest is the West Des Moines Community School district (WDMCS). WDMCS serves over 8,800 students and includes eight elementary schools, one early childhood center, two junior highs, and three high schools, including a freshman high school and an alternative high school. Academics are key. At Valley High School, the district's main high school serving 1,900 students, more than 190 courses are offered, 33 of which are dual credit course options (offering high school and college credit). The certified staff-to-student ratio is approximately 1 to 15. Since 1990, Valley has had 198 National Merit Scholarship Finalists.

The Valley Music Department was honored with the first Grammy Signature School Award in 1999. The Valley Marchmasters were asked to perform at the 2004 Tournament of Roses Parade.

The WDM Community Schools offer LEARNwest, a community education program with more than 200 non-credit evening and weekend classes in the fall, spring, and winter for adults and children.

In addition to numerous quality private and parochial schools, West Des Moines is home to Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) West Campus. The campus, which serves more than 1500 students, offers degrees in liberal arts and business but has a focus on information technology and telecommunications. DMACC has state-of-the-art IT labs and instructors, is a leader in wireless technology, and is used extensively for beta testing.

The West Des Moines Police Department has set out to educate and assist the community in measures that can be taken to reduce the opportunity for crime to occur. A few of the programs that are in existence today are Self-Protection, Holiday Safety, Scams and Frauds, Identity Theft, Bike Safety, Operation ID, Neighborhood Watch, KID ID, Burglary Prevention, CODE 7, R.A.P.P. (Resisting Adolescent Peer Pressure), Code 411 and many more.

Code 411 is a substance abuse, violence prevention and internet safety program that the West Des Moines Police Department provides to the students of West Des Moines in the second and fifth through seventh grades. Code 411 was initially developed for seventh grade students at Stilwell Junior High in 2003. The seventh grade curriculum is a three-week program that addresses the effects and consequences of tobacco, alcohol, and various drugs.

In 2007, the West Des Moines Police Department in partnership with the Clive Police Department and the West Des Moines Community Schools developed a new substance abuse, violence prevention and internet safety program. This program focuses on the understanding of the effects on the body from tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, inhalants, prescription and over-the-counter drugs. We discuss the laws of under age use and possession. Code 411 (fifth and sixth grades) also covers bullying and harassment and how it effects people as well as, how someone can get arrested for harassing another individual.

The program addresses various crimes that are common to teenagers, such as criminal mischief/vandalism, shoplifting, assault, burglary and a variety of other crimes. The last two lessons of the program focus on Internet safety, including instant messaging, text messages, chat rooms, MySpace and Facebook. Also covered are the dangers of strangers on the Internet and not providing personal information to strangers.

Other schools and organizations will also benefit from the Code 411 program, as well as other programs and initiatives about crime prevention and safety.

West Des Moines is one of only a few cities in the nation to have all three public safety departments accredited through their respective national accrediting agencies.

West Des Moines is also home to what residents call "medical main street," an area on the west side of town where medical practices and specialties have been converging throughout the past decade. Two new hospitals are under way in that area and will open in 2009 and 2010, providing a state-of-the-art comprehensive medical facility for residents.

West Des Moines offers a number of cultural and recreational facilities and hosts a number of attractions and events. For recreation there are 16 parks, 2 country clubs, 2 golf courses, 10 tennis courts, a swimming pool and a community center. In April 2009, West Des Moines kicked off its own Sustainability Program using revenues from the City¹s recycling program.

At Valley Junction's shopping district you will find the town's main street filled with restaurants, specialty shops as well as antique, hobby and fashion shops. Valley Junction hosts numerous events throughout the year. There is a jazz festival, bike festival, arts & crafts, open houses, and several others.

For more information, visit www.wdm-ia.com