Census tract · Polk County
Census Tract 53, Polk County, Iowa
Census Tract 53, GEOID 19153005300, in Polk County, Iowa, entirely within Des Moines. 2,616 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±368); the 2020 Census counted 2,633.
Residents, 2020-2024
2,616
±368 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 2,633
Median household income
$77,923
±$21,015 (90% margin)
Polk County: $83,576
Median home value
$170,500
±$10,434 (90% margin)
Polk County: $262,100
Median gross rent
$1,059
±$99 (90% margin)
Polk County: $1,149
Where is Census Tract 53?
Census Tract 53 is one of 112 census tracts in Polk County, Iowa. It covers 5.02 square miles of land, 524 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 19153005300, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Des Moines | 100% |
6 census tracts border Census Tract 53: Tract 19 ($63,317), Tract 21 ($54,428), Tract 39.02 ($85,899), Tract 52 ($56,832), Tract 108.03 ($82,267) and Tract 108.04 ($106,193). 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 53?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 53's population at 2,616 (±368) in 983 households; the 2020 Census counted 2,633 residents and 988 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 53 | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 2,616 ±368 | 212,421 |
| Households | 983 ±130 | 90,105 |
| Average household size | 2.64 ±0.24 | 2.30 |
| Housing units | 1,013 ±125 | 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 53?
The median resident of Census Tract 53 is 35.8 years old; 27.5% are under 18 and 8.8% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 53.9%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 28.6%. 22.9% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Tract 53 | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 35.8 ±7.9 | 34.6 |
| Under 18 years | 27.5% ±5.7 pts | 23.2% |
| 65 years and over | 8.8% ±2.4 pts | 12.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 28.6% ±7.4 pts | 16.3% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 53.9% ±8.1 pts | 61.0% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 9.5% ±9.9 pts | 11.1% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 6.2% ±5.2 pts | 6.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.9 pts | 0.1% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.9 pts | 0.1% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.3 pts | 4.5% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 1.6% ±2.2 pts | 0.4% |
| Born outside the United States | 22.9% ±7.0 pts | 14.2% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 38.3% ±7.2 pts | 21.9% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 3.0% ±1.8 pts | 5.0% |
| With a disability | 14.1% ±3.8 pts | 14.3% |
| No health insurance coverage | 8.5% ±5.4 pts | 7.2% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 78.1% ±8.9 pts | 87.0% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 11.1% ±5.4 pts | 29.7% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 5.3% ±4.4 pts | 9.3% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 86.0% ±7.0 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 53 earn?
Half of the 983 households in Census Tract 53 earn less than $77,923 a year (±$21,015), against $83,576 across Polk County: 58th highest of the county's 109 tracts with a reliable estimate. 16.3% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 53 | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $77,923 ±$21,015 | $65,932 |
| Mean household income | $75,983 ±$9,576 | $86,645 |
| Per capita income | $28,628 ±$4,255 | $37,863 |
| People below the poverty line | 16.3% ±8.2 pts | 15.0% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 19.3% ±14.8 pts | 22.1% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 20.9% ±10.4 pts | 15.8% |
| Households with a computer | 97.8% ±1.9 pts | 96.0% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 91.0% ±6.8 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 53?
Owners occupy 80.9% of Census Tract 53's occupied homes and renters 19.1%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $170,500 by its owner (±$10,434). The median renter pays $1,059 a month including utilities, and 46.0% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tract 53 | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $170,500 ±$10,434 | $194,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,059 ±$99 | $1,090 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 46.0% ±25.0 pts | 37.3% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,420 ±$72 | $1,485 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 80.9% ±6.4 pts | 60.5% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 19.1% ±6.4 pts | 39.5% |
| Housing units | 1,013 ±125 | 97,604 |
| Single-family detached homes | 87.6% ±7.3 pts | 61.6% |
| Mobile homes | 2.1% ±2.8 pts | 2.6% |
| Built 2020 or later | 3.6% ±4.5 pts | 0.9% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 3.2% ±3.2 pts | 8.3% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 25.6% ±9.1 pts | 26.7% |
| Households with no vehicle | 2.0% ±1.9 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 53 get to work?
76.7% of Census Tract 53's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 20.1 minutes.
| Measure | Tract 53 | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 70.2% ±6.5 pts | 71.1% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.6% ±4.1 pts | 5.6% |
| Drove alone to work | 76.7% ±8.8 pts | 70.9% |
| Carpooled | 16.8% ±8.1 pts | 11.0% |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±2.0 pts | 0.8% |
| Walked | 0.0% ±2.0 pts | 2.4% |
| Worked from home | 6.4% ±4.3 pts | 13.1% |
| Mean travel time to work | 20.1 min ±4.3 | 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 53 compare with the other tracts in Polk County?
Among Polk County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 53 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Polk County | In Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 102nd of 111 | 50th of 59 |
| Residents per square mile | 101st of 112 | 57th of 60 |
| Median household income | 58th of 109 | 16th of 58 |
| Per capita income | 97th of 111 | 47th of 59 |
| Median home value | 88th of 109 | 37th of 57 |
| Median gross rent | 76th of 107 | 39th of 59 |
| Poverty rate | 24th of 68 | 23rd of 43 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 107th of 111 | 54th of 59 |
| Median age | 62nd of 111 | 29th of 59 |
| Owner-occupied share | 31st of 111 | 12th of 59 |
The tracts next to it on Polk County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 7.02 | 55th | $79,196±$9,733 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 7.03 | 56th | $79,189±$7,193 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 41 | 57th | $78,393±$25,884 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 53 | 58th | $77,923±$21,015 |
| Tract 1.03 | 59th | $76,979±$16,967 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 8.01 | 60th | $76,786±$9,654 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 1.02 | 61st | $76,362±$6,405 · 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 53?
3 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 53 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