Published October 14, 2026 in Market Update

Not all of Ankeny is moving at the same speed

By Steve Stych

Real estate, Ankeny

Most people think of Ankeny as one market. The Real Estate Data Aggregator numbers for the three months ending August 31, 2026 say otherwise. South Ankeny (ZIP 50023) and north Ankeny (ZIP 50021) are telling two different stories right now.

Freddie Mac put the 30-year fixed rate at 7.40% as of October 8, 2026. At that rate, buyers are taking their time. They are comparing carefully. That matters more in one part of Ankeny than the other.

The speed gap is real

That 33-day gap is not a small difference. A home in south Ankeny (50023) went under contract in 23 days, on average. A home in north Ankeny (50021) took 56 days. To put it in perspective, that is more than an extra month of carrying costs, more showings, and more uncertainty.

South Ankeny (50023): quicker, but prices dipped

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 260 homes sold in ZIP 50023 in the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is up 7% from the same months in 2025. Homes are moving faster too. Median days on market fell 12 days shorter than a year ago.

The honest part: the median sale price in 50023 came in at $350,000, down 5.4% from a year before. More homes are selling, and they are selling faster, but they are selling for a little less. Pricing right still matters.

North Ankeny (50021): prices rose, but homes are sitting longer

North Ankeny tells the flip side. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 275 homes sold in ZIP 50021 in the three months ending August 31, 2026, up 29.1% from the same months in 2025. That is a big jump in volume.

But median days on market in 50021 came in at 56 days. That is 12 days longer than a year ago. And only 24% of homes went under contract within two weeks, down 6.4 points from last year. More homes are selling, but buyers are not rushing.

The median sale price in 50021 was $340,000, up 7.9% from a year ago. So prices are holding up. The trade-off is time. You may get your price, but you may need to wait for it.

Ankeny as a whole: more activity than a year ago

Taken together, the Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 535 homes sold across both Ankeny ZIP codes in the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is up 17.3% from the same period in 2025. New listings rose 17.1% to 507, and pending sales climbed 8.2% to 447.

More activity is good news. But Realtor.com reported that 20.8% of listings nationally took a price cut in September 2026, the highest share since October 2022. That is the backdrop buyers are living in. They know price cuts are out there, and they are watching for them.

What rates are doing to buyers right now

Freddie Mac put the 30-year fixed rate at 7.40% as of October 8, 2026. CNBC reported the average contract rate on conforming loans hit 7.50% as of October 14, 2026. Those are not small numbers.

CNBC also reported that adjustable-rate mortgages made up 10.5% of mortgage demand, the highest share since October 2025. Some buyers are looking for any way to lower their monthly payment. That affects how they shop, and what they will pay.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency reported that U.S. home prices rose 2.6% from July 2025 to July 2026. Values are still moving up nationally, just not as fast as rates are climbing.

What this means if you are selling in Ankeny

If your home is in south Ankeny (50023), the pace is on your side right now. Nearly 4 in 10 homes went under contract within two weeks. But the median price did slip 5.4%. Pricing accurately from day one is more important than ever.

If your home is in north Ankeny (50021), expect a longer road. The median was 56 days. That is not a failure. It is just the pace of that part of the market right now. Plan for it and you will not be caught off guard.

And if your home is in Prairie Trail, those numbers do not apply to you directly. Prairie Trail has its own HOA, its own design standards, and it sells at a premium. It needs to be compared against other Prairie Trail homes.

What this means if you are buying in Ankeny

In south Ankeny (50023), well-priced homes are still moving in under a month. You do not have the luxury of a long decision window there. In north Ankeny (50021), you have more time. Use it to look carefully.

Also worth knowing: a West Des Moines address does not always mean West Des Moines schools. And inside Ankeny, which high school a home feeds, Ankeny High School or Ankeny Centennial High School, depends on the address. Confirm that by address before you decide.

One more thing: even within a ZIP code, one street can read differently from the whole. These numbers cover a lot of ground. Your specific home, your specific block, may tell a different story. If I missed something about your situation, let me know.

Talk soon, Steve