Buying a Home in Altoona
The metro's entertainment corner — and one of its more affordable growing suburbs.
Altoona anchors the east metro and has an unusual concentration of regional attractions for a city its size: Adventureland, Prairie Meadows, the Outlets of Des Moines, and Bass Pro Shops all sit within a few minutes of each other.
For buyers, it's one of the more affordable growing suburbs, with a steady supply of newer construction and quick access to the east side of Des Moines.
Highlights
- Adventureland Resort and Prairie Meadows Racetrack & Casino
- The Outlets of Des Moines and the surrounding retail corridor
- Newer subdivisions at prices below the western suburbs
- Chichaqua Valley Trail access and a growing city park system
Altoona by the numbers
Home value, rent & market activity: Zillow Research (September 2026). Income & demographics: U.S. Census ACS (5-year).
Browse current Altoona listings on Zillow →
Renting in Altoona: rent figures, renters and the monthly cost to own →
School choice: who is moving in, and out
Iowa lets parents enroll a child in a public district other than the one they live in (Iowa Code §282.18). The state publishes the counts, which shows something a school rating cannot: which districts families are actively choosing, and which they are leaving.
School district boundaries do not follow city limits. Figures below describe the district, not the city, and the two can differ a great deal: the Urbandale district covers 35.9% of the city of Urbandale's land area, and the Waukee district also reaches into West Des Moines, Urbandale and Clive (federal school district boundary file; see which districts reach which cities). Check any specific address before relying on this.
Source: Iowa Department of Education, Certified Enrollment by District, 2025-26 school year. The bar shows transfers in and out as shares of all transfers, not the net. Percentages are of the public-school students who live in the district (certified enrollment), including those who open-enroll elsewhere. The state counts all of these in full-time equivalents, so the whole numbers here are rounded. A net loss is not a verdict on a school — large districts lose more simply by being large, and families transfer for childcare, a parent's commute and sibling placement as well as for academics.
Schools
Mostly the Southeast Polk Community School District, one of the larger districts in the metro, with part of the city in the Bondurant-Farrar district. Confirm the boundary by address.
Getting around
East metro along US-65 and I-80; typically 15–20 minutes to downtown Des Moines outside of peak hours.
Iowa costs in Altoona
Property tax: 3 taxing districts, from $34.10154 to $38.60765 per $1,000 of taxable value for the bills paid September 2026 and March 2027. Estimate the tax on a home in Altoona → Altoona rates by district, with example bills →
School districts paired with the city in the Polk, Dallas and Warren county tax tables: Saydel, Southeast Polk, Bondurant-Farrar. How districts and city lines differ →
Closing costs: Iowa's transfer tax, recording fees and Iowa Title Guaranty, figured exactly. Iowa closing cost calculator →
Metro context
Source: Realtor.com via FRED · Des Moines–West Des Moines, IA · figures for October 2026.
Estimate buy vs rent for Altoona →
General guide only — verify school boundaries, taxes, and current prices for any specific address. Not real-estate or financial advice.