Buying a Home in Johnston
Quiet, established, and anchored by a well-regarded school district near Saylorville Lake.
Johnston sits in the northwest metro between Urbandale and Saylorville Lake, and it draws buyers who prioritize schools and a settled residential feel over new-construction volume or nightlife.
It's also a notable employment center in its own right — Corteva Agriscience, the descendant of Pioneer Hi-Bred, is headquartered here, and Camp Dodge anchors the Iowa National Guard presence.
Highlights
- A school district with a long-standing strong local reputation
- Saylorville Lake and Terra Lake Park for recreation and trails
- Corteva Agriscience headquarters — a major on-site employer
- Established neighborhoods with mature trees and larger lots in places
Johnston by the numbers
Home value, rent & market activity: Zillow Research (September 2026). Income & demographics: U.S. Census ACS (5-year).
Browse current Johnston listings on Zillow →
Renting in Johnston: 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
The Johnston Community School District. The whole city is in it, and the district also reaches into neighboring cities, so verify by address.
Getting around
Northwest metro with access via I-35/80 and Merle Hay Road; roughly 15–20 minutes to downtown outside of peak.
Iowa costs in Johnston
Property tax: one taxing district, $37.05231 per $1,000 of taxable value for the bills paid September 2026 and March 2027. Estimate the tax on a home in Johnston → Johnston rates by district, with example bills →
School districts paired with the city in the Polk, Dallas and Warren county tax tables: Johnston. 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 Johnston →
General guide only — verify school boundaries, taxes, and current prices for any specific address. Not real-estate or financial advice.