Johnston, Ankeny and Waukee, Ranked Among the Top Cities in America for Affordability and Education in 2022

OAK PARK, Calif., March 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Dwellics, the authority in U.S. city data and personalized advice on where to move, has unveiled its 2022 list of the Top 100: Affordable Cities with Top Schools. 

Dwellics analyzed financial and educational data on more than 50,000 U.S. cities to compile the report. Considerations include taxes, childcare cost, housing cost, cost of living index, average teacher salary, teacher to student ratio, number of blue-ribbon schools, and proficiency in math, reading, and language arts.  

Iowa ranks highly for affordable cities with excellent schools, taking twelve spots on the list overall and two of the top 50 most highly rated cities in America. The most affordable cities in Iowa with excellent schools: 

• Johnston, Iowa (#39)
• Bettendorf, Iowa (#46)
• Ankeny, Iowa (#53)
• Crocker Township, Iowa (#56)
• Waukee, Iowa (#68)
• Eldridge, Iowa (#69)
• Ames, Iowa (#70)

The larger populated Iowa cities on the list, including Ankeny and Ames, are growing at a slower rate compared to the smaller cities of Johnston, Bettendorf, Waukee, and Eldridge. This may indicate that smaller cities offer a lower cost of living and greater community voice in school boards and education policy, driving their rapid growth and highly rated schools. 

Except for the Scott County communities of Bettendorf and Eldridge, Iowa's top cities on the list are all located near the state capital, Des Moines, which allows residents of smaller cities with better schools access to the amenities and attractions offered by the state's largest city.

Interestingly, Des Moines, which is home to the largest school district in the state, does not appear on the list. The top three ranked cities in Iowa have the lowest cost of living and boast the highest median income in the state.

According to a recent study by Upwork, the world's largest work marketplace, an unprecedented number of Americans are planning to move in 2022; much of this migration will be fueled by the opportunity to work remotely. The pervasiveness of remote work opens the door for workers with families to seek relocation to areas with a lower cost of living and better educational opportunities.

Media Contact:  
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SOURCE Dwellics