COUNTY · 1990 CENSUS

Des Moines County

Iowa · 42,614 residents · 416 sq mi

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Part of the Burlington micropolitan area

The short version

With 42,614 people, Des Moines County is a county in Iowa. Median home value sits at $41,500. 73% of homes are owner-occupied. 13% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. At a median age of 36.0, this is an older place than the country as a whole. Getting to work takes 16 minutes on average.

At a glance

Lower income

below the US median

US median: $30,130

Older

median age 36.0

US median: 33.0

Less educated

13% hold a bachelor's degree

US average: 20%

More affordable

home values down 21%, inflation adjusted

US median home: $93,722

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population

42,614

+1%vs 2000

vs 42,351 in 2000

1990 – 2025

Median age

36.0

−8%vs 2000

vs 38.9 in 2000

US average: 33.0

Land area

416 sq mi

Population, 1990 – 2024

202438K

Age distribution, 1990

Under 56.7%(2,852)

US avg: 7.3%

5 to 97.2%(3,065)

US avg: 7.3%

10 to 147.7%(3,295)

US avg: 6.9%

15 to 196.7%(2,857)

US avg: 7.1%

20 to 245.7%(2,439)

US avg: 7.5%

25 to 3414.5%(6,181)

US avg: 17.5%

35 to 4414.8%(6,303)

US avg: 15.1%

45 to 5411%(4,684)

US avg: 10.2%

55 to 649.5%(4,054)

US avg: 8.5%

65 to 749%(3,844)

US avg: 7.3%

75 to 845.2%(2,220)

US avg: 4%

85 and over1.9%(820)

US avg: 1.2%

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Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income

$26,536

−5%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $36,790 in 2000

US average: $30,130

1990 – 2024

Per capita income

$12,246

−38%vs 2000

vs $19,701 in 2000

US average: $14,340

Poverty rate

11.3%

+0.7 ptsvs 2000

vs 10.7% in 2000

US average: 13.2%

Section 03

Housing

Median home value

$41,500

−21%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $69,000 in 2000

US average: $93,722

1990 – 2024

Median gross rent

$321

−4%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $439 in 2000

US average: $450

Owner-occupied

72.8%

−1.4 ptsvs 2000

vs 74.2% in 2000

27.2% rent

Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000

White, non-Hispanic92.8%(39,308)

Black3.5%(1,488)

Hispanic / Latino1.7%(740)

Asian0.6%(245)

Other0%

1990

White, non-Hispanic95.9%(40,877)

Black2.9%(1,251)

Hispanic / Latino1.1%(449)

Asian0.5%(204)

Other0.7%(282)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin

Mexican2.5%(968)

Puerto Rican0.4%(164)

Dominican0.2%(71)

South American0.1%(44)

Venezuelan0.1%(37)

Central American0.1%(29)

Guatemalan0.1%(29)

Spaniard0.1%(29)

Ecuadorian0%(7)

Asian origin

Asian Indian0.8%(303)

Filipino0.2%(68)

Chinese0.1%(55)

Korean0%(18)

Nepalese0%(16)

Pacific Islander origin

Native Hawaiian0.6%(219)

Chamorro0%(1)

Ancestry

German29.2%(11,227)

Irish12.6%(4,857)

English10.6%(4,094)

American6.6%(2,551)

Swedish3.6%(1,384)

Dutch2.2%(847)

French2.1%(794)

Scottish1.9%(718)

Norwegian1.7%(655)

Italian1.1%(423)

Swiss1%(379)

Polish0.8%(319)

+ 29 more ancestry groups with data

Welsh0.7%(278)

Scotch-Irish0.6%(246)

British0.6%(216)

Danish0.5%(197)

Russian0.4%(171)

Czech0.4%(154)

Arab0.2%(94)

Canadian0.2%(80)

Egyptian0.2%(76)

Subsaharan African0.2%(73)

Greek0.2%(64)

Nigerian0.2%(64)

Armenian0.1%(46)

Australian0.1%(42)

Croatian0.1%(36)

Austrian0.1%(30)

Romanian0.1%(25)

French Canadian0.1%(21)

Lebanese0%(18)

Portuguese0%(17)

Slovak0%(17)

Slovene0%(14)

Lithuanian0%(12)

Finnish0%(11)

Hungarian0%(9)

West Indian0%(8)

Jamaican0%(8)

Belgian0%(5)

Serbian0%(4)

RANKED:Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest English population · Largest American population · Largest Swedish population

Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

12.7%

−3.2 ptsvs 2000

vs 16.0% in 2000

US average: 20.3%

High school or higher

78.9%

−6.9 ptsvs 2000

vs 85.8% in 2000

US average: 75.2%

Graduate degree

3.9%

−1.3 ptsvs 2000

vs 5.2% in 2000

US average: 7.1%

Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute

15.6 min

+41%vs 2000

vs 11.1 min in 2000

US average: 21.9

Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)

Men 15+

Never married33%(5,097)

Married52%(8,030)

Widowed4.1%(631)

Divorced11%(1,698)

Women 15+

Never married26%(4,188)

Married50.6%(8,138)

Widowed9.4%(1,505)

Divorced14%(2,251)

SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024

Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured

3.9%

−5.3 ptssince 2013

from 9.2% in 2013

US average: 8.4%

Employer-based

53.6%

+0.1 ptssince 2020

from 53.5% in 2020

US average: 54.8%

Direct-purchase

17.3%

−0.1 ptssince 2020

from 17.4% in 2020

US average: 13.8%

Medicare

23.6%

+0.6 ptssince 2020

from 23.0% in 2020

US average: 18.4%

Medicaid

26.5%

+1.6 ptssince 2020

from 24.9% in 2020

US average: 20.9%

VA health care

3.1%

−0.1 ptssince 2020

from 3.2% in 2020

US average: 2.2%

Any private

67.6%

−1.2 ptssince 2020

from 68.8% in 2020

US average: 67.1%

Any public

45.2%

+1.5 ptssince 2020

from 43.7% in 2020

US average: 36.7%

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, 2024

Gulf War (2001 or later)14.8%(360)

US avg: 26.4%

Gulf War (1990s)20.9%(508)

US avg: 24.3%

Vietnam era42.6%(1,032)

US avg: 33.1%

Korean War6.7%(162)

US avg: 4.5%

World War II2.7%(66)

US avg: 1%

Share of the 2,425 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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