Median home price: $181,000
Median family income: $118,055
Local crime news for Johnston is telling: A recent headline proclaimed that a driver for a trash collection company spilled garbage on the highway and was issued a citation.
While many of the law-abiding locals work in nearby Des Moines, Johnston boasts plenty of its own big employers, including Pioneer Hi-Bred, Iowa Public Television and John Deere Financial.
That's helped the area's economy to keep hitting on all cylinders, with unemployment in the metro area under 6% -- more than three points better than the national rate.
And, while Johnston's population has quadrupled over the past 20 years, it's still a place where, "neighbors know and care about the children and families next door," said Mayor Paula Dierenfeld. Other bonuses: "Quality neighborhoods and an excellent school system."
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