United States › Iowa › Des Moines CITY · 2020 ACS
Des Moines Iowa · 214,133 residents · 88.2 sq mi
Time machine
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The short version
Des Moines is a city of 214,133 people in Iowa. This skews young, with a median age of 34.8. The typical home is worth $141,300, having risen by half since 2000. Getting to work takes 19 minutes on average. About 28% of adults have finished a four-year degree. Median household income is $54,843, under the $66,278 national median.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Younger
median age 34.8
US median: 38.8
Less educated
28% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01
Population & growth from 33.8 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Population, 1990 – 2024
191K 198K 205K 211K 218K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Des Moines Age distribution, 2020
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Section 02
Income & economy $54,843
−5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $38,408 in 2000
US average: $66,278
from $19,467 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
from 22.8% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
from 11.4% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Public administration 11.5%
Professional, scientific, technical 4.8%
Transportation & warehousing 2.4%
Arts, entertainment, food 1.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 0.6%
Education & health services 0.5%
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$141,300
+18%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $79,900 in 2000
US average: $265,253
$881
+10%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $532 in 2000
US average: $1,124
from 64.7% in 2000
41.6% rent
from 2.29 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
from 2.6 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 79.6%(158,095)
Hispanic / Latino 6.6%(13,138)
2020
White, non-Hispanic 61%(130,599)
Hispanic / Latino 15.6%(33,480)
No data for the years selected.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Hispanic origin
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data Asian origin
+ 5 more asian origin groups with data Ancestry
+ 45 more ancestry groups with data from 21.8% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
from 83.0% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
from 6.5% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 10.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
from 78.3% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
from 9.1% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07
Work & employment from 8.0% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
from 71.0% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
US average: 73.3%
from 30.0% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08
People & community from 9.5% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
from 11.3% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
US average: 91.9%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married 44.2%(37,868)
Women 15+
Never married 38.1%(32,887)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 11.3% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Direct-purchase
US average: 13.7%
VA health care
US average: 2.3%
Any private
US average: 68.1%
Any public
US average: 35.2%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans Veterans by period of service, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later) 19.8%(1,903)
Gulf War (1990s) 16.6%(1,603)
Share of the 9,633 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
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Explore
Neighborhoods in Des Moines Drill deeper
Places similar to Des Moines Head to head
Compare Des Moines to nearby cities DES MOINES VS
Pleasant Hill
Income $90,508 +65%
Home value $295,100 +109%
Population 11,239 −95%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DES MOINES VS
Norwalk
Income $102,722 +87%
Home value $303,100 +115%
Population 15,004 −93%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DES MOINES VS
Altoona
Income $86,114 +57%
Home value $274,600 +94%
Population 22,796 −89%
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DES MOINES VS
West Des Moines
Income $86,594 +58%
Home value $309,000 +119%
Population 74,224 −65%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Des Moines, Iowa? Des Moines, Iowa has about 214,133 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Des Moines, Iowa? The typical household in Des Moines, Iowa earns about $54,843 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Des Moines, Iowa expensive? In Des Moines, Iowa, the median home is worth about $141,300, and the typical rent is about $881 a month.
How educated are people in Des Moines, Iowa? About 27.9% of adults age 25 and over in Des Moines, Iowa hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Des Moines, Iowa? About 16.0% of people in Des Moines, Iowa live below the federal poverty line.
Has Des Moines, Iowa grown since 1990? Yes, Des Moines, Iowa has grown since 1990. The population has added about 20,946 residents, a change of about 11 percent over that period.
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