The Johnston Brief
If you're eyeing a move to Johnston, you've probably already seen it on a "best suburbs" list. That's real, but you want the honest version from people who actually live here, trade-offs and all. Here's the straight answer: the rankings, the safety and schools, what it costs, and who Johnston is (and isn't) for.
Yes, especially for families. Johnston earns an overall A grade on Niche and consistently ranks among the best places to live and best suburbs in Iowa, with a top-ranked school district, an A+ safety grade, 45-plus miles of trails, and a ~15-min commute to Des Moines. The trade-offs: housing runs above the metro median, the city tax levy is on the higher side, and it's suburban and car-dependent, not a walkable big-city vibe.
Johnston carries an overall A grade on Niche and regularly lands among the state's best places to live and best suburbs (Niche put it around #10 statewide for 2026). Its Johnston Community School District ranks about #12 in Iowa, and AreaVibes gives the town an A+ for safety. Take rankings with a grain of salt, but Johnston shows up on them year after year, which tells you something.
Johnston is a suburb of Des Moines, close enough for a metro job and big-city amenities, far enough to feel like its own town. It's a bit more established than the metro's newest boomtowns, with a higher median income and a slightly older median age. This is a family town, anchored by top schools, the Town Center, and miles of trails.
Johnston is considered a safe community, low crime for its size, which is a big reason it ranks so well. AreaVibes gives it an A+ safety grade. That said, every town has crime; if you're weighing a specific area, look up current local data.
The Johnston Community School District is the top draw, one of the highest-ranked in Iowa (around #12 statewide on Niche for 2026) with about 7,480 students, the Dragons. Unlike some larger metro districts, Johnston runs a single comprehensive high school, so there are no secondary attendance boundaries, only an elementary zone tied to your address. Details in our schools guide.
Cost-of-living indexes put Johnston close to the national average overall, but housing is the main line item: the 2026 year-to-date median home sale price runs about $375,000, above the metro median, because Johnston is the more established, higher-end side of the north metro. That's offset by a high median income of around $107,000. The full picture, including the city's higher-than-average tax levy, is in our cost of living guide.
You have (or want) kids and prize top schools, or you value safety, trails, an established feel, and a short commute over big-city buzz.
You want a walkable, urban, nightlife-heavy feel, or the cheapest housing in the metro. Johnston is suburban and car-dependent, its housing runs above the metro median, and the city tax levy is on the higher side. (The Town Center is the closest thing to a walkable core.)
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Yes, it's regarded as a safe, low-crime community with an A+ safety grade on AreaVibes, part of why it ranks so well. Still, check current data for any specific area.
Very, a top-ranked school district, 45-plus miles of trails, and Terra Park with its stocked fishing lake. See our schools guide.
Cost. Johnston's housing runs above the metro median and the city tax levy is on the higher side for the metro. It's also suburban and car-first.
Moving to Johnston · Schools · Cost of living · Neighborhoods · Senior living