Buying a Home in Clive
A quiet, well-kept residential community wrapped around the Greenbelt Trail.
Clive is a smaller, residential suburb tucked between West Des Moines and Urbandale, known for its quiet neighborhoods and the Clive Greenbelt Trail that runs through the heart of the city along Walnut Creek.
It appeals to buyers who want a calm, established setting with easy access to the west-metro's shopping and dining without being in the middle of it.
Highlights
- The Clive Greenbelt Trail — a scenic creek-side path through town
- Quiet, well-maintained residential neighborhoods
- Central west-metro position near Jordan Creek amenities
- A small-community feel with metro conveniences close by
Clive by the numbers
Home value, rent & market activity: Zillow Research (2026-08). Income & demographics: U.S. Census ACS (5-year).
Browse current Clive listings on Zillow →
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.
Clive spans two school districts, and they can point in opposite directions — which is why there is no single figure for Clive. Figures below describe the district, not the city, and the two can differ a great deal: only about half the children living in the city of Urbandale attend Urbandale schools, while Waukee's district reaches well beyond Waukee. 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 certified enrollment — every student living in the district, whichever school they attend. 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
Split among several districts — primarily West Des Moines and Waukee, with some areas in Dallas Center–Grimes. The district can change block to block, so verify carefully.
Getting around
Sits right along the I-35/80 corridor and University Ave; central enough for an easy commute across the metro.
Metro context
Source: Realtor.com via FRED (metro); Zillow Research (value/rent); U.S. Census ACS (demographics) · Des Moines–West Des Moines, IA · updated 2026-08.
Estimate buy vs rent for Clive →
General guide only — verify school boundaries, taxes, and current prices for any specific address. Not real-estate or financial advice.