New data shows how big Des Moines metro cities could get. Here's what to expect

Phillip Sitter, Des Moines Register
·4 min read
The Des Moines skyline after sunset.

New growth projections through 2050 for Des Moines and its metro areas show which communities may grow the most in terms of the number of jobs, housing units and people.

The Des Moines Metropolitan Planning Organization's Transportation Technical Committee met Feb. 1 and discussed draft employment, housing unit and population projections. The committee uses the projections to try to determine areas of need for transportation improvements, and expected further review of its data.

The projections as of Feb. 1 showed population growth continuing at much faster rates in the suburbs than in the capital city, particularly in Waukee where it's projected to lead the metro with a more than 75% population growth, compared to about 14.5% in Des Moines.

That would have Waukee grow to a population of nearly 45,500 people by 2050, with Des Moines at more than 254,000 people.

Altoona, Ankeny, Bondurant, Grimes and Johnston also were each projected to grow 60% or more. Ankeny was expected to add the largest number of new residents in the metro — more than 45,200 more people — for a new population of more than 120,000.

More: Poverty is rising in parts of suburban Des Moines. Nonprofits are struggling to keep up.

Waukee was projected to have the biggest change in the number of jobs — more than 94% growth — but it's West Des Moines that's projected to add the biggest number of new jobs in the metro, with more than 38,600 projected to be added there.

Des Moines was projected to follow with more than 33,400 new jobs and then Urbandale with more than 18,600 new jobs.

Projections for every metro city showed the rate of growth in housing units keeping up with population growth. Ankeny, West Des Moines and Des Moines were projected to add the most new housing units, though Waukee, Altoona and Bondurant may see the biggest growth rates in their housing stocks.

Here are some more projections by community through 2050, according to the MPO's report.

Altoona

  • Number of new jobs — 2,895

  • Number of new housing units — 5,726

  • Population growth — 14,607

  • Population in 2050 — 36,158

Ankeny

  • Number of new jobs — 7,879

  • Number of new housing units — 18,553

  • Population growth — 45,219

  • Population in 2050 — 120,278

More: As suburbs annex land, how big will places like Ankeny and West Des Moines get?

Bondurant

  • Number of new jobs — 1,124

  • Number of new housing units — 1,833

  • Population growth — 5,231

  • Population in 2050 — 13,047

Carlisle

  • Number of new jobs — 723

  • Number of new housing units — 518

  • Population growth — 1,295

  • Population in 2050 — 5,684

Clive

  • Number of new jobs — 9,298

  • Number of new housing units — 3,111

  • Population growth — 7,760

  • Population in 2050 — 25,451

Des Moines

  • Number of new jobs — 33,401

  • Number of new housing units — 14,150

  • Population growth — 32,205

  • Population in 2050 — 254,171

Grimes

  • Number of new jobs — 6,708

  • Number of new housing units — 4,527

  • Population growth — 11,118

  • Population in 2050 — 28,545

Johnston

  • Number of new jobs — 3,239

  • Number of new housing units — 6,142

  • Population growth — 14,561

  • Population in 2050 — 38,002

Mitchellville

  • Number of new jobs — 159

  • Number of new housing units — 66

  • Population growth — 170

  • Population in 2050 — 2,686

Norwalk

  • Number of new jobs — 1,223

  • Number of new housing units — 2,991

  • Population growth — 7,346

  • Population in 2050 — 21,086

More: See where Des Moines metro's southern suburbs of Norwalk, Carlisle, Cumming plan for growth

Pleasant Hill

  • Number of new jobs — 870

  • Number of new housing units — 2,264

  • Population growth — 5,732

  • Population in 2050 — 16,387

Polk City

  • Number of new jobs — 190

  • Number of new housing units — 1,216

  • Population growth — 3,300

  • Population in 2050 — 9,085

Urbandale

  • Number of new jobs — 18,673

  • Number of new housing units — 8,395

  • Population growth — 21,176

  • Population in 2050 — 67,445

Waukee

  • Number of new jobs — 7,323

  • Number of new housing units — 8,152

  • Population growth — 19,481

  • Population in 2050 — 45,449

West Des Moines

  • Number of new jobs — 38,631

  • Number of new housing units — 15,208

  • Population growth — 31,585

  • Population in 2050 — 100,607

Windsor Heights

  • Number of new jobs — 677

  • Number of new housing units — 131

  • Population growth — 302

  • Population in 2050 — 5,676

Phillip Sitter focuses for the Des Moines Register on reporting on suburban growth and development in the western metro areas. Phillip can be reached via email at psitter@gannett.com. He is on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @pslifeisabeauty.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Which Des Moines metro city could see the most growth by 2050?