City · Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines, city, mostly in Polk County (99.9% of its 2020 residents), with a part in Warren County, Iowa. Des Moines had 212,086 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 0.9% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 214,133 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 212,421 (±197). GEOID 1921000.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
212,086
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 214,133 · ACS 2020-2024: 212,421 ±197
Median household income
$65,932
±$1,922 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$194,700
±$3,372 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
$1,090
±$21 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972
Where is Des Moines and what county is it in?
Des Moines is a city mostly in Polk County (99.9% of its 2020 residents), with a part in Warren County, Iowa. It covers 88.2 square miles of land, 2,429 residents per square mile in 2020.
Des Moines is in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 6 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
| County | 2020 residents | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Polk County | 213,921 | 99.9% |
| Warren County | 212 | 0.1% |
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Des Moines, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 212,086 people lived in Des Moines on July 1, 2025, down 0.9% since 2020, while Iowa grew 1.5%. The 2020 Census counted 214,133 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 212,421 (±197).
| Measure | Des Moines | Polk County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 212,421 ±197 | 503,175 | −3,215 |
| Households | 90,105 ±1,262 | 205,358 | +4,272 |
| Average household size | 2.30 ±0.03 | 2.41 | −0.15 |
| Housing units | 97,604 ±1,191 | 218,486 | +4,452 |
Des Moines's population since 2000
From 198,682 in 2000 to 212,086 in 2025: up 6.7%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Des Moines as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Des Moines?
The median resident of Des Moines is 34.6 years old; 23.2% are under 18 and 12.7% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 61.0%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 16.3%. 14.2% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Des Moines | Polk County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 34.6 ±0.4 | 36.2 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 23.2% ±0.6 pts | 24.4% | – |
| 65 years and over | 12.7% ±0.4 pts | 14.0% | – |
| Male | 50.0% ±0.6 pts | 49.8% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 16.3% ±0.7 pts | 10.4% | +2.7 pts |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 61.0% ±1.0 pts | 73.2% | −4.7 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 11.1% ±0.8 pts | 7.3% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 6.6% ±0.5 pts | 4.9% | no clear change |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.1 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.5% ±0.6 pts | 3.8% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.2 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 14.2% ±0.8 pts | 10.1% | +1.7 pts |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 21.9% ±1.1 pts | 14.7% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 5.0% ±0.4 pts | 5.6% | – |
| With a disability | 14.3% ±0.8 pts | 11.4% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 7.2% ±0.5 pts | 5.3% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 87.0% ±0.8 pts | 92.5% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 29.7% ±1.1 pts | 40.3% | +3.0 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 9.3% ±0.6 pts | 13.1% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 84.3% ±1.0 pts | 85.7% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.1% ±0.4 pts | 2.0% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Des Moines earn?
Half of Des Moines's 90,105 households earn less than $65,932 a year (±$1,922), against $83,576 in Polk County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 it was $65,873 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 15.0% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Des Moines | Polk County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,932 ±$1,922 | $83,576 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $86,645 ±$2,325 | $109,398 | – |
| Per capita income | $37,863 ±$917 | $45,622 | +$2,722 |
| People below the poverty line | 15.0% ±1.1 pts | 10.3% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 22.1% ±2.5 pts | 14.0% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 15.8% ±1.0 pts | 9.8% | – |
| Households with a computer | 96.0% ±0.5 pts | 96.9% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 89.8% ±1.0 pts | 91.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Des Moines?
Owners occupy 60.5% of Des Moines's occupied homes and renters 39.5%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $194,700 by its owner (±$3,372). The median renter pays $1,090 a month including utilities, and 37.3% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Des Moines | Polk County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $194,700 ±$3,372 | $262,100 | +$30,772 |
| Median gross rent | $1,090 ±$21 | $1,149 | +$38 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 37.3% ±2.6 pts | 35.5% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,485 ±$23 | $1,741 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 60.5% ±1.1 pts | 67.4% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 39.5% ±1.1 pts | 32.6% | – |
| Housing units | 97,604 ±1,191 | 218,486 | +4,452 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.9% ±0.3 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 5.0% ±1.1 pts | 5.5% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 61.6% ±1.2 pts | 62.7% | – |
| Mobile homes | 2.6% ±0.5 pts | 2.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.9% ±0.3 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 8.3% ±0.8 pts | 13.9% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 26.7% ±0.9 pts | 14.2% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 9.0% ±1.0 pts | 5.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Des Moines building?
Builders took permits for 1,676 new housing units in Des Moines in 2025 (221 in single-family houses), 7.9 per 1,000 residents against 4.2 across Iowa.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Des Moines work and get to work?
70.9% of Des Moines's workers drive alone and 13.1% work from home. The average trip to work takes 19.5 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 5.6%.
| Measure | Des Moines | Polk County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 71.1% ±0.8 pts | 71.4% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 5.6% ±0.6 pts | 4.4% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 70.9% ±1.1 pts | 72.4% | – |
| Carpooled | 11.0% ±0.8 pts | 8.4% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.8% ±0.2 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Walked | 2.4% ±0.4 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Worked from home | 13.1% ±0.9 pts | 15.7% | +9.6 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 19.5 min ±0.5 | 20.0 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Des Moines?
59 census tracts lie mostly in Des Moines, and 8 more reach into it (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $39,938 (Tract 1.01) to $158,393 (Tract 30.02).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 108.05Polk County | 8,302 | $118,493 |
| Tract 51.01Polk County | 7,131 | $56,461 |
| Tract 39.02Polk County | 5,619 | $85,899 |
| Tract 46.02Polk County | 5,409 | $50,995 |
| Tract 8.01Polk County | 6,023 | $76,786 |
| Tract 11Polk County | 5,016 | $40,291 |
| Tract 3Polk County | 4,932 | $50,873 |
| Tract 4Polk County | 4,582 | $58,315 |
| Tract 47.01Polk County | 4,531 | $56,138 |
| Tract 1.01Polk County | 4,482 | $39,938 |
| Tract 10Polk County | 4,480 | $67,117 |
| Tract 19Polk County | 4,496 | $63,317 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Des Moines) · Census block assignment files
How does Des Moines compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Des Moines is the 116th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Des Moines ranks 168th of 279 places in Iowa with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 1st | 939 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 148th | 275 |
| Residents per square mile | 5th | 279 |
| Median household income | 168th | 279 |
| Per capita income | 126th | 279 |
| Median home value | 94th | 279 |
| Median gross rent | 34th | 266 |
| Poverty rate | 49th | 232 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 85th | 279 |
| Median age | 242nd | 279 |
| Owner-occupied share | 263rd | 279 |
| Work from home | 47th | 221 |
| Travel time to work | 153rd | 279 |
Des Moines's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Des Moines with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Des Moines?
2 of the 57 figures for Des Moines on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Des Moines are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Des Moines.