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Fact text

  • John Deere has manufactured agricultural equipment in Ankeny since 1947, when it took over a former WWII military ordnance plant.
  • Back in 1881, the entire town of Ankeny consisted of just seven houses, and newspapers only arrived once a week, on the Friday train.
  • Ankeny's growth has been so intense that nearly 80% of residents surveyed said the city was growing 'somewhat too fast' or 'much too fast.'
  • The city has requested a special census every decade since the 1970s just to keep up with how fast people keep moving in.
Your
Ankeny
Retirement Outlook — in 90 seconds
Hosted by Michael McMillan, President of Annuities.net
Every figure mentioned is drawn from the same sourced public data shown below — and the video updates as the data does.
Stat icon
64,744
+
Total Population
Stat icon
$
89,484
Median Income
Stat icon
$
239,300
Median Home
Stat icon
10
%
Age 65+
Retirement Suitability
How
Ankeny
ranks for retirees?
27
/ 100

A blended, sourced view of how this city ranks for retirees across tax, affordability, healthcare, and climate.

Tax
8
Affordability
86
Healthcare
6
Climate
9

Results

Ankeny

Suitability Breakdown

Retirement tax planning
01 - Taxes

Retirement Tax Treatment

Tax
8

Iowa does not tax Social Security benefits, which preserves a meaningful income stream for retirees even though a state income tax still applies to other sources.

State sales tax here runs about

%.

Source · Tax Foundation
8
Retirement tax planning
02 - Income

Annuity Rates Available Here

Affordability
86

Fixed annuity rates reach up to

7

% on 5-year terms, with most landing between

5

% and

5

%.

Source · Cannex
86
Retirement tax planning
03 - Healthcare

Hospital Access & Quality

Healthcare
6

The area has

3

Medicare-certified hospitals, averaging a

2

/5 CMS quality rating.

Source · CMS Hospital Compare
2
Retirement tax planning
04 - Climate

Weather & Comfort

Climate
9

A

Cold / Snowy

climate — summers peak near

85

°F, winters dip to about

14

°F, with roughly

28

″ of snow a year.

Source · NOAA Climate Normals
Cold / Snowy
Retirement tax planning
05 - Risk

Natural Disaster Risk

Risk
Relatively Moderate

FEMA's overall natural-disaster risk rating for this county on the National Risk Index.

Source · FEMA National Risk Index
Relatively Moderate

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does Iowa tax Social Security retirement income?

Iowa does not tax Social Security benefits, which helps retirees in Ankeny preserve that income stream. However, Iowa still applies a state income tax to other retirement income sources. Anyone with pensions or investment withdrawals should verify how those are treated under current Iowa tax law before making retirement income plans.

How good are the hospitals near Ankeny for retirees?

Three Medicare-certified hospitals serve the Ankeny area, but they average just 2.33 out of 5 CMS stars, which is below average on the federal quality scale. For residents who are still pre-retirees today, that quality gap is worth monitoring, since healthcare needs typically increase with age.

How affordable is housing in Ankeny compared to other retirement destinations?

The median home value in Ankeny is $239,300, which is relatively modest compared to many U.S. metros. That lower entry price can make it easier for pre-retirees to build equity before retirement. The community’s median household income of $89,484 suggests residents here generally have meaningful capacity to save alongside homeownership.

What is the winter weather like in Ankeny for someone thinking about retiring there?

Ankeny experiences genuinely cold winters, with average lows near 14°F and about 28 inches of annual snowfall. Summers are warmer, averaging around 84°F. Retirees who have mobility concerns or prefer milder year-round conditions should weigh this climate carefully. FEMA also rates the county’s overall natural-disaster risk as Relatively Moderate.

Can someone in Iowa use an annuity to create guaranteed retirement income?

Iowa exempts Social Security from state income tax, which helps Ankeny retirees stretch their income — but that benefit alone may not cover essential expenses like heating bills during winters that regularly drop to 14°F or healthcare costs at local hospitals rated below average by CMS. A multi-year guaranteed annuity locks in a fixed interest rate for a set term, converting savings into predictable income that never fluctuates with markets. Current rates change often, so check our current annuity rates page for today’s figures.

Check Current Rates