Clive is the suburb that gets overlooked because it's wedged between two bigger names — West Des Moines to the south, Urbandale to the north — but for a certain kind of buyer, Clive is actually the best of the three. It's smaller (population around 19,000), more mature, and built around the city's signature Greenbelt Trail and creek corridor. If your priorities are established character, top-tier schools, and a community that has had decades to get its quality-of-life details right, Clive deserves to be on your list.
I've worked with buyers across every west-metro community, and Clive shows up most often for two types of clients: established families who want move-in-ready ranch or two-story homes in a stable, leafy setting, and downsizing sellers from West Des Moines who want to stay close but trade in 4,000 square feet for something more manageable. The pitch lines up for both.
Clive has done something rare for a metro suburb: it has preserved meaningful green space inside its boundaries. The Clive Greenbelt Trail runs roughly 11 miles along Walnut Creek through the city — a contiguous tree-canopied corridor that you can walk, run, bike, or push a stroller along without crossing a major road for most of the route. For a lot of buyers, this is the single most decisive factor.
The schools are the other anchor. Clive is split between two of the metro's strongest districts: Waukee Community School District serves the western and northern parts of Clive, and West Des Moines Community School District (Valley) serves the eastern portion. Both districts consistently rank among the strongest in the state.
The location is straightforward suburban excellence. You're 10 minutes from Jordan Creek Town Center, 15 minutes from downtown Des Moines, 5 minutes from the major employers in West Des Moines (Wells Fargo, Athene, Nationwide), and you're surrounded by retail and restaurant options in every direction.
Country Club Glen / Country Club Estates — Established executive neighborhoods around Glen Oaks Country Club. Mature trees, larger lots, custom homes typically $550,000+. Slow turnover and strong long-term values.
Hidden Pines / The Pines area — North-side neighborhood with a mix of 1990s and 2000s construction. Many homes back to greenspace or wooded areas. Family-popular.
Woodland Glenn — Established 1980s-90s neighborhood with character ranches and split-levels. Often a value play vs. comparable West Des Moines pricing for similar square footage.
Clive Greenbelt corridor neighborhoods — Any home with direct trail access or a backyard adjacent to the Greenbelt commands a premium and tends to move fast.
Newer construction along the 86th Street / NW corridor — Some pockets of newer infill construction near the Waukee district lines. Limited availability — buyers who want truly new builds in Clive often have to look at Waukee proper instead.
Clive students attend either:
Waukee Community School District — One of the largest and most academically respected districts in Iowa. Multiple new high schools (Waukee High and Waukee Northwest), strong STEM and arts programming, and the district's APEX program is nationally recognized for career-and-college readiness.
West Des Moines Community School District (Valley) — Valley High School is one of the most consistently top-ranked public high schools in Iowa. Strong academic, music, athletics, and AP programming.
Which district your specific Clive address is in matters a lot. School district boundaries within Clive are not always obvious from a map — I verify district assignment for every Clive address I show, because it directly affects both the lifestyle decision and resale value.
For specific school-level performance metrics, the Iowa Department of Education's School Performance Profiles tool is the most current objective source.
| Destination | Drive time |
|---|---|
| Downtown Des Moines | 15 min |
| West Des Moines / Jordan Creek | 8 min |
| DSM International Airport | 18 min |
| Ankeny | 20 min |
| Mercy Medical Center West Lakes | 8 min |
I-235 / I-80 / Hickman Road / University Avenue all touch Clive. Commute flexibility is one of the city's quiet superpowers — there's almost always a backup route during rush hour.
Clive's median sale price has consistently run in the $400,000–$450,000 range over the past 12 months, with significant variation by neighborhood. The country club / executive neighborhoods regularly trade at $600,000–$900,000+, while well-maintained 1980s–90s homes in Woodland Glenn and similar areas can be acquired in the $325,000–$400,000 range — making Clive surprisingly accessible to second-time buyers.
Inventory in Clive is tighter than most metro suburbs. There's very little undeveloped land left within city limits, so almost all transactions are resale of existing homes. This makes Clive a true resale market — when you list a well-prepared Clive home in a desirable neighborhood, buyers respond quickly.
For investment buyers: Clive is not a strong rental cash-flow market. Home prices relative to achievable rents make ROI tight. House hackers who buy a single-family and rent rooms can make the math work, but pure rental investment is rarely the right move here.
Are there any new construction options in Clive? Limited. Most new construction in this corridor is happening in Waukee, Urbandale, and the far west edge of the metro. If new construction is non-negotiable, Clive is probably not your fit — but if you're open to a 2000s-era home in great condition, you have many more options.
Is Clive worth the price premium over similar homes in older West Des Moines or older Urbandale neighborhoods? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. It depends on which Clive neighborhood and which alternative neighborhood. I'm happy to walk through specific comps if you're weighing the decision.
How are Clive property taxes? Clive's consolidated tax rate is competitive with neighboring west-metro cities. The actual annual property tax bill is driven by assessed value, the homestead credit, and which school district you fall into.
Will Clive ever build new shopping or commercial development? Some — but the city is largely built out. Big new retail typically goes to West Des Moines, Waukee, or Urbandale instead.
Clive is a mature, well-loved community with limited inventory and durable demand. It's not flashy, it's not "the next hot suburb" — and that's exactly why it consistently delivers strong long-term value. If you want stability, trees, top schools, and a 10-minute drive to almost everywhere in the metro, Clive does the job better than most of its more-marketed neighbors.
If you're weighing Clive against other west-metro options and want a clear, comp-driven picture of what your money buys here vs. elsewhere — I do that analysis for every client during the buyer consultation. Honest numbers, no sales pitch.
Reach out: Jackson Krile · Flanders Team · RE/MAX Real Estate Center · (515) 490-8614 · jacksonkrile.rmxiowa.com
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