2025

Cities in Polk County, IA ranked by Non-Hispanic White Population

This list ranks the 32 cities in Polk County based on their Non-Hispanic White population, as estimated by the United States Census Bureau. It also highlights population changes in these cities over the past five years.
Updated Feb 11, 2025

Top 5 cities with the largest Non-Hispanic White population in Polk County

View All
  • 1
    Des Moines
    Non-Hispanic White population in Des Moines is 131,082
    28.02% of Des Moines population is Non-Hispanic White
  • 2
    Des Moines
    Non-Hispanic White population in Des Moines is 131,082
    28.02% of Des Moines population is Non-Hispanic White
  • 3
    Ankeny
    Non-Hispanic White population in Ankeny is 62,046
    84.68% of Ankeny population is Non-Hispanic White
  • 4
    West Des Moines
    Non-Hispanic White population in West Des Moines is 54,694
    24.50% of West Des Moines population is Non-Hispanic White
  • 5
    West Des Moines
    Non-Hispanic White population in West Des Moines is 54,694
    24.50% of West Des Moines population is Non-Hispanic White

List of 32 cities in Polk County, IA by Non-Hispanic White Population

View Methodology
-
Rank by Non-Hispanic White Population
City
Non-Hispanic White Population
% of Total City Population
% of Total Polk County Non-Hispanic White Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Des Moines 131,082 28.02% 32.99%
1 Des Moines 131,082 28.02% 32.99%
2 Ankeny 62,046 84.68% 15.62%
3 West Des Moines 54,694 24.50% 13.77%
3 West Des Moines 54,694 24.50% 13.77%
3 West Des Moines 54,694 24.50% 13.77%
4 Urbandale 36,742 38.37% 9.25%
4 36,742 38.37% 9.25%
5 19,190 76.91% 4.83%
6 17,389 80.55% 4.38%
7 14,277 36.00% 3.59%
7 14,277 36.00% 3.59%
8 13,434 40.38% 3.38%
8 13,434 40.38% 3.38%
9 12,913 45.86% 3.25%
9 12,913 45.86% 3.25%
10 8,859 78.17% 2.23%
11 7,150 86.99% 1.80%
12 5,617 93.76% 1.41%
13 4,098 77.91% 1.03%
14 3,949 46.31% 0.99%
14 3,949 46.31% 0.99%
15 2,295 42.69% 0.58%
15 2,295 42.69% 0.58%
16 1,825 46.32% 0.46%
16 1,825 46.32% 0.46%
17 626 88.05% 0.16%
18 387 96.03% 0.10%
19 383 94.57% 0.10%
20 344 32.76% 0.09%
20 344 32.76% 0.09%
20 344 32.76% 0.09%

Methodology

This ranking list is based on data from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The ACS is one of the most reliable sources for understanding population trends across different locations, and it provides estimates for various racial and ethnic groups at city, county, state and all geography levels down to the Census block group.
This list ranks cities in Polk County, IA by their Non-Hispanic White population, using the most recent ACS data available.

How the Census Defines Non-Hispanic White Population

The U.S. Census Bureau allows people to self-identify their race, meaning individuals can choose one or more racial categories when responding to the survey. In this ranking, we include everyone who identifies as Non-Hispanic White, whether alone or in combination with another race.
Here are a few important things to know about how race is reported:
  • Some people identify as Non-Hispanic White alone, while others identify as Non-Hispanic White along with another race (such as Non-Hispanic White and White).
  • Hispanic / Latino origin is reported separately from race, so someone can be both Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White .
  • We’ve used the “Non-Hispanic White alone or in combination” category unless noted otherwise, which gives a broader picture of the Non-Hispanic White population in each area.

How We Ranked the Data

This ranking is based on the total number of people who identified as Non-Hispanic White alone or in combination in cities. To provide additional context, we’ve also included two key percentages:
  1. % of Total City Population – This shows what percentage of the total state population identifies as Non-Hispanic White .
  2. % of Total Polk County Non-Hispanic White Population – This tells us how much of the entire U.S. Non-Hispanic White population lives in that state.
To keep things simple, all population numbers have been rounded to the nearest whole number, and percentages are rounded to one decimal place. Because of rounding, some percentages may not add up to exactly 100%.

Things to Keep in Mind

Like all survey-based data, ACS estimates come with some limitations. Here are a few things to be aware of:
  • In places with very small Non-Hispanic White populations, the numbers may not be reported at all due to privacy protections or sampling variability in the survey.
  • Since the ACS is based on a sample, the numbers are estimates, not exact counts. That means they may slightly differ from other sources like the decennial U.S. Census.
  • Cities that don’t have any reported Non-Hispanic White population are not included in the ranking but are listed separately below for reference.
This ranking is meant to provide a clear, data-driven look at where Non-Hispanic White populations are most concentrated while keeping the numbers easy to understand.

Sources

U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.