Census tract · Polk County
Census Tract 42, Polk County, Iowa
Census Tract 42, GEOID 19153004200, in Polk County, Iowa, entirely within Des Moines. 3,203 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±427); the 2020 Census counted 3,147.
Residents, 2020-2024
3,203
±427 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 3,147
Median household income
$57,703
±$10,982 (90% margin)
Polk County: $83,576
Median home value
$151,000
±$18,746 (90% margin)
Polk County: $262,100
Median gross rent
$1,060
±$59 (90% margin)
Polk County: $1,149
Where is Census Tract 42?
Census Tract 42 is one of 112 census tracts in Polk County, Iowa. It covers 0.82 square miles of land, 3,852 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 19153004200, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Des Moines | 100% |
6 census tracts border Census Tract 42: Tract 39.01 ($59,076), Tract 41 ($78,393), Tract 43 ($79,682), Tract 44 ($63,803), Tract 51.01 ($56,461) and Tract 52 ($56,832). The figure in brackets is each tract's median household income.
Whether a tract counts as low- or moderate-income for bank lending (the Community Reinvestment Act) is set by the FFIEC against its metro area's family income: look it up in the FFIEC census geocoder.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 block assignment files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Census Tract 42?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 42's population at 3,203 (±427) in 1,657 households; the 2020 Census counted 3,147 residents and 1,571 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 42 | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 3,203 ±427 | 212,421 |
| Households | 1,657 ±239 | 90,105 |
| Average household size | 1.93 ±0.20 | 2.30 |
| Housing units | 1,784 ±211 | 97,604 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Census Tract 42?
The median resident of Census Tract 42 is 33.2 years old; 19.5% are under 18 and 14.5% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 53.8%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 18.3%. 14.9% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Tract 42 | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 33.2 ±4.6 | 34.6 |
| Under 18 years | 19.5% ±5.4 pts | 23.2% |
| 65 years and over | 14.5% ±4.7 pts | 12.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 18.3% ±6.3 pts | 16.3% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 53.8% ±12.1 pts | 61.0% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 14.6% ±10.9 pts | 11.1% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 3.4% ±3.0 pts | 6.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.8 pts | 0.1% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.8 pts | 0.1% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 9.4% ±5.5 pts | 4.5% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.5% ±0.7 pts | 0.4% |
| Born outside the United States | 14.9% ±5.3 pts | 14.2% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 18.9% ±7.1 pts | 21.9% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 3.4% ±2.3 pts | 5.0% |
| With a disability | 15.3% ±5.8 pts | 14.3% |
| No health insurance coverage | 6.2% ±2.5 pts | 7.2% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 86.5% ±6.2 pts | 87.0% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 29.5% ±9.8 pts | 29.7% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 5.6% ±3.3 pts | 9.3% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 68.1% ±9.2 pts | 84.3% |
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 Census Tract 42 earn?
Half of the 1,657 households in Census Tract 42 earn less than $57,703 a year (±$10,982), against $83,576 across Polk County: 90th highest of the county's 109 tracts with a reliable estimate. 8.1% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 42 | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $57,703 ±$10,982 | $65,932 |
| Mean household income | $67,820 ±$11,729 | $86,645 |
| Per capita income | $36,348 ±$4,965 | $37,863 |
| People below the poverty line | 8.1% ±4.0 pts | 15.0% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 4.0% ±4.7 pts | 22.1% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 15.4% ±8.8 pts | 15.8% |
| Households with a computer | 92.3% ±5.7 pts | 96.0% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 92.8% ±4.2 pts | 89.8% |
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 Census Tract 42?
Owners occupy 38.3% of Census Tract 42's occupied homes and renters 61.7%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $151,000 by its owner (±$18,746). The median renter pays $1,060 a month including utilities, and 38.6% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tract 42 | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $151,000 ±$18,746 | $194,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,060 ±$59 | $1,090 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 38.6% ±17.3 pts | 37.3% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,288 ±$166 | $1,485 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 38.3% ±9.2 pts | 60.5% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 61.7% ±9.2 pts | 39.5% |
| Housing units | 1,784 ±211 | 97,604 |
| Single-family detached homes | 48.8% ±9.0 pts | 61.6% |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±1.4 pts | 2.6% |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±1.4 pts | 0.9% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 42.0% ±8.3 pts | 8.3% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 32.8% ±8.7 pts | 26.7% |
| Households with no vehicle | 13.6% ±7.2 pts | 9.0% |
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 do people in Census Tract 42 get to work?
79.3% of Census Tract 42's workers drive alone and 8.1% work from home. The average trip to work takes 20.2 minutes.
| Measure | Tract 42 | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 66.8% ±6.7 pts | 71.1% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.3% ±2.2 pts | 5.6% |
| Drove alone to work | 79.3% ±7.4 pts | 70.9% |
| Carpooled | 8.2% ±4.6 pts | 11.0% |
| Public transportation | 0.1% ±0.1 pts | 0.8% |
| Walked | 1.8% ±2.7 pts | 2.4% |
| Worked from home | 8.1% ±5.1 pts | 13.1% |
| Mean travel time to work | 20.2 min ±2.9 | 19.5 min |
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
How does Census Tract 42 compare with the other tracts in Polk County?
Among Polk County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 42 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Polk County | In Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 85th of 111 | 36th of 59 |
| Residents per square mile | 40th of 112 | 28th of 60 |
| Median household income | 90th of 109 | 42nd of 58 |
| Per capita income | 74th of 111 | 26th of 59 |
| Median home value | 101st of 109 | 49th of 57 |
| Median gross rent | 74th of 107 | 38th of 59 |
| Poverty rate | 51st of 68 | 38th of 43 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 70th of 111 | 23rd of 59 |
| Median age | 85th of 111 | 43rd of 59 |
| Owner-occupied share | 99th of 111 | 50th of 59 |
The tracts next to it on Polk County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 110.01 | 87th | $61,306±$16,524 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 39.01 | 88th | $59,076±$18,532 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 4 | 89th | $58,315±$9,824 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 42 | 90th | $57,703±$10,982 |
| Tract 111.14 | 91st | $57,222±$21,803 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 52 | 92nd | $56,832±$3,991 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 51.01 | 93rd | $56,461±$10,787 · within the margin of this tract |
"Within the margin": the two incomes differ by less than their combined 90% margins, so the survey cannot say which is higher and the ranks between them are not firm.
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Census Tract 42?
2 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 42 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.
A census tract's figures rest on a few hundred sampled households over five years, so its margins are wider than a city's. Two tracts differ only when the gap between them is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins). 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 · Check it at data.census.gov
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections