There are all types when it comes to being a snob in Iowa. You’ve got your Wine Snobs, Book Snobs, and, of course, Clothes Snobs. Then there are the Technology Snobs, Car Snobs, and yes, even City Snobs — as in, I’m better than you because I live in (insert snooty city here).
How can we tell which Iowa cities are the snobbiest? By measuring snobby things, that’s how.
We used Saturday Night Science to look at things like expensive homes, high incomes, and overly educated populations by city in Iowa. These are the criteria you’d argue with a friend over a foodie dinner about who’s snobbier.
After analyzing 78 of the state’s most populous areas over 5,000 people, we came up with this ranking of the ten snobbiest places in the state of Iowa.
The Iowan in these places aren’t snobby, they just know they’re better than you.
$132,121 median income · $425,730 median home · #2 income in Iowa
Located in
Polk County, Iowa
Clive is a city in Dallas and Polk counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2010 Census the population is at 15,447. It is part of the Des Moines-West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area. Clive is known for its Greenbelt Park and trail system running through the entire community. Clive serves as the axis of the western Des Moines suburbs, being located between Urbandale, Waukee and West Des Moines along the major transportation corridors of I-35, I-80 and I-235. The City of Urbandale is to the north to northwest, the City of West Des Moines is to the southeast to southwest, the City of Waukee in Dallas County is to the west.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$106,551 median income · $394,441 median home · #8 income in Iowa
Located in
Polk County, Iowa
Johnston is a city in Polk County, Iowa, United States. The population was 17,278 in the 2010 census, an increase of almost 100% from the 8,649 population in the 2000 census. It is part of the Des Moines-West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$124,957 median income · $381,428 median home · #3 income in Iowa
Asbury is a city in Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, and a suburb of the city of Dubuque. It is part of the Dubuque, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,357 at the 2010 census. Asbury is the second-largest city in Dubuque County, surpassing Dyersville, Iowa to become the second-largest in the 2010 U.S. Census count. The city is largely a bedroom community, made up of spacious, new subdivisions whose residents work in Dubuque or Peosta, Iowa.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$120,037 median income · $348,193 median home · #5 income in Iowa
Located in
Polk County, Iowa
Grimes is a city in Dallas and Polk counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 8,246 at the 2010 census. Grimes is part of the Des Moines-West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$106,316 median income · $347,341 median home · #9 income in Iowa
Located in
Scott County, Iowa
Eldridge is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States. The population was 6,162 in a 2014 census estimate; Eldridge is a suburb and also part of the Quad Cities metropolitan area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$101,029 median income · $338,881 median home · #12 income in Iowa
Located in
Dallas County, Iowa
Waukee is a city in Dallas County, Iowa, United States. The population was 13,790 at the 2010 Census; a fast growth has been measured since as it is estimated there were 19,284 people living in Waukee in 2016. It is part of the Des Moines – West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$135,674 median income · $330,602 median home · #1 income in Iowa
Bondurant is a city in Polk County, Iowa, United States. The population was 3,860 in the 2010 census, an increase of 109% from the 1,846 population in the 2000 census. It is part of the Des Moines-West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$112,795 median income · $349,851 median home · #6 income in Iowa
Located in
Polk County, Iowa
Urbandale is a city in Polk and Dallas counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 39,463. It is part of the Des Moines-West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$108,198 median income · $338,168 median home · #7 income in Iowa
Located in
Polk County, Iowa
Ankeny is a city in Polk County, Iowa, United States and home to Des Moines Area Community College. The population was 45,562 in the 2010 census, an increase of 68% from the 27,117 population in the 2000 census. It is part of the Des Moines-West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is one of the most affluent cities in all of Iowa.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$100,952 median income · $327,121 median home · #13 income in Iowa
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Iowa’s statewide median.
Iowa statewide median: $75,059
Iowa statewide median: $231,585
On the map
Where the snobs live in Iowa
Saturday Night Science
How we determined the snobbiest cities in the Hawkeye State
Do you think we’d just come up with this list willy-nilly? Not a chance – we only use Saturday Night Science around here.
We gathered up all of the places in Iowa with populations of 5,000 people or more. This left us with a total of 78 places. Then, we looked at each place in terms of these snoot-er-iffic criteria (And no, it’s not a word. English snob.):
- Median home price (Higher is snobbier)
- Median household income (Higher is snobbier)
- Percent of population with a college degree (Higher is snobbier)
Incomes and college education levels come from the American Community Survey. Home prices come from Zillow.
Turned out this simple criteria was much better at sniffing out the snobby places then more snobby criteria like:
- Libaries per capita (Higher is snobbier)
- Museums per capita (Higher is snobbier)
- Private schools per capita (Higher is snobbier)
From there, we ranked each of our 78 places in each category with scores from one to 78. We then averaged each place’s ranking into one overall score, where the lowest score went to the snobbiest place in Iowa. So let’s all flip a table in honor of Clive (with our pinkies up, of course.)
Before you get upset and ruin your blowout or something drastic here, let’s remember that this is all in good fun. Would we live in one of these 10 places if we had the chance? Of course, we would.
And it’s not like your real estate agent would ever point out how snobby the town you’re moving to is. We’re here to keep you grounded, even if you’re wearing a monocle.
The full plate
Table: The Snobbiest Cities In Iowa For 2026
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Snob Score | Population | Median Income | Average Home Prices | Adult Highly Educated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clive | 2.00 | 19,012 | $132,121 | $425,730 | 61.0% |
| 2 | Johnston | 5.00 | 24,384 | $106,551 | $394,441 | 58.0% |
| 3 | Asbury | 7.50 | 5,989 | $124,957 | $381,428 | 51.0% |
| 4 | Grimes | 8.50 | 16,366 | $120,037 | $348,193 | 52.0% |
| 5 | Eldridge | 8.83 | 6,818 | $106,316 | $347,341 | 54.0% |
| 6 | Waukee | 9.00 | 29,236 | $101,029 | $338,881 | 58.0% |
| 7 | Bondurant | 9.17 | 8,560 | $135,674 | $330,602 | 52.0% |
| 8 | Urbandale | 9.50 | 46,595 | $112,795 | $349,851 | 51.0% |
| 9 | Ankeny | 9.83 | 72,615 | $108,198 | $338,168 | 53.0% |
| 10 | Tiffin | 10.67 | 5,737 | $100,952 | $327,121 | 64.0% |
| 11 | Sergeant Bluff | 11.67 | 5,171 | $123,481 | $354,762 | 37.0% |
| 12 | North Liberty | 14.17 | 21,125 | $102,102 | $307,636 | 54.0% |
| 13 | Adel | 14.67 | 6,430 | $95,250 | $390,598 | 37.0% |
| 14 | Bettendorf | 15.17 | 39,647 | $100,495 | $328,096 | 51.0% |
| 15 | West Des Moines | 15.33 | 71,083 | $86,594 | $320,156 | 55.0% |
| 16 | Norwalk | 15.33 | 14,183 | $102,722 | $332,836 | 40.0% |
| 17 | Pella | 15.33 | 10,720 | $84,111 | $351,502 | 48.0% |
| 18 | Sioux Center | 16.00 | 8,454 | $92,983 | $345,761 | 41.0% |
| 19 | Windsor Heights | 21.00 | 5,143 | $91,707 | $282,953 | 47.0% |
| 20 | Pleasant Hill | 23.67 | 11,136 | $90,508 | $299,730 | 36.0% |
| 21 | Altoona | 23.83 | 21,495 | $86,114 | $317,902 | 34.0% |
| 22 | Cedar Falls | 24.17 | 40,888 | $76,987 | $259,137 | 51.0% |
| 23 | Coralville | 24.33 | 23,234 | $69,144 | $256,223 | 56.0% |
| 24 | Waverly | 24.33 | 10,494 | $80,284 | $271,473 | 44.0% |
| 25 | Marion | 24.67 | 41,896 | $86,743 | $271,355 | 38.0% |
| 26 | Clear Lake | 25.33 | 7,607 | $79,415 | $322,831 | 31.0% |
| 27 | Indianola | 25.67 | 16,044 | $75,453 | $309,171 | 35.0% |
| 28 | Ames | 29.00 | 67,669 | $60,991 | $274,367 | 66.0% |
| 29 | Glenwood | 30.33 | 5,144 | $71,790 | $310,533 | 28.0% |
| 30 | Decorah | 30.67 | 7,535 | $64,366 | $304,335 | 43.0% |
| 31 | Spirit Lake | 33.50 | 5,518 | $65,720 | $328,918 | 26.0% |
| 32 | Nevada | 34.33 | 6,983 | $75,094 | $241,439 | 29.0% |
| 33 | Hiawatha | 35.33 | 7,206 | $66,270 | $254,300 | 32.0% |
| 34 | Dubuque | 35.83 | 59,174 | $65,845 | $245,147 | 34.0% |
| 35 | Cedar Rapids | 36.00 | 137,264 | $70,424 | $204,112 | 33.0% |
| 36 | Le Mars | 36.67 | 10,640 | $74,701 | $275,107 | 22.0% |
| 37 | Grinnell | 38.00 | 9,505 | $65,320 | $208,194 | 37.0% |
| 38 | Independence | 38.50 | 6,164 | $73,806 | $216,073 | 25.0% |
| 39 | Des Moines | 40.00 | 212,421 | $65,932 | $208,166 | 30.0% |
| 40 | Boone | 40.17 | 12,424 | $69,222 | $210,007 | 25.0% |
| 41 | Carroll | 40.33 | 10,208 | $69,706 | $200,081 | 27.0% |
| 42 | Winterset | 41.33 | 5,416 | $67,708 | $289,608 | 21.0% |
| 43 | Davenport | 43.50 | 100,913 | $66,200 | $187,412 | 30.0% |
| 44 | Knoxville | 44.83 | 7,473 | $61,599 | $203,230 | 30.0% |
| 45 | Manchester | 45.83 | 5,191 | $61,191 | $222,974 | 25.0% |
| 46 | Council Bluffs | 48.00 | 62,586 | $64,578 | $223,906 | 21.0% |
| 47 | Oskaloosa | 48.50 | 11,504 | $64,004 | $186,483 | 26.0% |
| 48 | Fairfield | 48.50 | 9,456 | $51,311 | $158,194 | 53.0% |
| 49 | Spencer | 50.00 | 11,400 | $59,667 | $193,031 | 29.0% |
| 50 | Sheldon | 50.00 | 5,474 | $62,159 | $220,403 | 21.0% |
| 51 | Mount Pleasant | 53.00 | 8,951 | $61,042 | $191,462 | 23.0% |
| 52 | Marshalltown | 53.33 | 27,626 | $69,068 | $173,581 | 20.0% |
| 53 | Anamosa | 54.00 | 5,629 | $60,650 | $243,589 | 19.0% |
| 54 | Cherokee | 55.00 | 5,154 | $61,750 | $148,066 | 24.0% |
| 55 | Osceola | 55.83 | 5,523 | $68,284 | $187,628 | 13.0% |
| 56 | Perry | 56.00 | 7,985 | $68,910 | $172,452 | 18.0% |
| 57 | Atlantic | 56.00 | 6,763 | $61,141 | $158,965 | 23.0% |
| 58 | Washington | 56.33 | 7,290 | $55,373 | $190,722 | 24.0% |
| 59 | Algona | 56.50 | 5,377 | $56,040 | $179,883 | 25.0% |
| 60 | Denison | 58.00 | 8,260 | $65,684 | $176,095 | 18.0% |
| 61 | Maquoketa | 58.00 | 6,075 | $60,240 | $197,794 | 20.0% |
| 62 | Storm Lake | 58.33 | 11,428 | $62,765 | $177,022 | 19.0% |
| 63 | Muscatine | 58.67 | 23,489 | $58,117 | $184,866 | 22.0% |
| 64 | Newton | 59.00 | 15,700 | $57,771 | $200,884 | 20.0% |
| 65 | Creston | 61.33 | 7,435 | $52,633 | $152,979 | 24.0% |
| 66 | Waterloo | 62.67 | 67,008 | $57,480 | $143,280 | 22.0% |
| 67 | Fort Dodge | 62.67 | 24,827 | $60,649 | $129,004 | 21.0% |
| 68 | Clinton | 63.67 | 24,322 | $60,230 | $127,331 | 21.0% |
| 69 | Burlington | 63.67 | 23,728 | $59,000 | $123,915 | 22.0% |
| 70 | Ottumwa | 64.00 | 25,430 | $61,103 | $121,425 | 21.0% |
| 71 | Iowa Falls | 64.67 | 5,038 | $50,417 | $130,589 | 23.0% |
| 72 | Red Oak | 71.83 | 5,510 | $50,109 | $136,874 | 17.0% |
| 73 | Fort Madison | 72.33 | 10,133 | $50,705 | $109,640 | 19.0% |
| 74 | Keokuk | 72.67 | 9,662 | $52,711 | $80,981 | 18.0% |
| 75 | Estherville | 73.17 | 5,839 | $54,124 | $122,713 | 13.0% |
| 76 | Oelwein | 74.83 | 5,834 | $46,653 | $109,878 | 17.0% |
| 77 | Clarinda | 75.00 | 5,353 | $46,348 | $125,019 | 15.0% |
| 78 | Centerville | 76.67 | 5,372 | $46,563 | $80,251 | 16.0% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, Zillow research. 78 places with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
There You Have It – Now That You’re On Your High Horse
When it comes to snobbery, these places in Iowa are heading ever upward. Residents in these communities are well educated, well paid, and appear to have all the sophisticated culture and entertainment of an Ernst Lubitsch film right at their fingertips.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
The snobbiest cities in Iowa are Clive, Johnston, Asbury, Grimes, Eldridge, Waukee, Bondurant, Urbandale, Ankeny, and Tiffin. Not sold on Iowa? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
