Compare · IA · IA
ZIP 50266 vs ZIP 52240
West Des Moines (IA), IA compared to Iowa City (IA), IA on twelve public-records dimensions. Data landing this week as ingestion rolls out.
Last verified 2026-04-26 · methodology
Side by side
| Dimension | ZIP 50266 | ZIP 52240 |
|---|---|---|
| Water quality EPA SDWIS | Data landing this week | Data landing this week |
| Flood zone FEMA NFHL | Data landing this week | Data landing this week |
| Wildfire risk USDA Forest Service | Data landing this week | Data landing this week |
| Air quality EPA AirNow | Data landing this week | Data landing this week |
| Crime FBI UCR | Data landing this week | Data landing this week |
| Schools NCES Common Core | Data landing this week | Data landing this week |
| Radon EPA Radon Zones | Data landing this week | Data landing this week |
| Lead pipes EPA LCRR / RTI | Data landing this week | Data landing this week |
| Property tax County assessor | Data landing this week | Data landing this week |
| Deed activity County recorder | Data landing this week | Data landing this week |
| Zoning Municipal planning | Data landing this week | Data landing this week |
| Sex offender registry NSOPW (deep-link) | Data landing this week | Data landing this week |
Dimensions populate live as ingestion reaches each source. Every row will link to the primary regulator.
Iowa context
Radon Zone 1, agricultural water nitrates
Iowa is one of the highest-radon states in the US — uniformly Zone 1. Agricultural runoff drives EPA SDWIS nitrate violations in small rural systems and even Des Moines Water Works. Tornadoes peak April-June.
Read more on cross-ZIP comparisons
Editorial deep-dives that help when reading two places side-by-side — what each data layer actually proves, and what it doesn't.
Flood zones explained — what AE, X, and VE actually mean
Plain-English guide to FEMA flood-zone codes (A, AE, AH, V, VE, X, X-shaded). What the 1% and 0.2% annual-chance zones mean for your property and your insurance.
EPA Radon Zones — what 1, 2, and 3 mean and when you should test
EPA classifies every US county into Zone 1 (high), Zone 2 (moderate), or Zone 3 (low) for radon. Plain-English guide to the classifications and at-home testing.
FBI UCR and NIBRS — what crime statistics actually show (and don't)
The FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program and its successor NIBRS aggregate crime data from local agencies. Plain-English guide to what gets reported, what doesn't, and how to read the numbers.
Lead and Copper Rule 2024 — the federal lead-pipe inventory mandate
The 2024 Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) require every US community water system to inventory and report lead service lines. Plain-English guide.
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