CensusEasy
METRO AREA · 2000 CENSUS

Des Moines Metro

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA · 6 counties · 518,607 residents · 3,612.308 sq mi
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The short version

Des Moines has roughly average household income, with a median household income of $45,993. Population has held roughly steady since 1990. Median home value has risen by half since 1990, reaching $98,642.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $42,589
Mid-age
median age 35.1
US median: 35.2
More educated
27% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
Less affordable
home values up 33%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
518,607
+15%since 1990
from 451,141 in 1990
1990 – 2025
Population density
144 / sq mi
+15%since 1990
from 125 / sq mi in 1990
Median age
35.1
+6%since 1990
from 33.2 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Population, 1990 – 2024
423K507K591K675K759K1990201020202024Des Moines
2024731K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 57.3%(38,031)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 97.3%(37,785)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 147.1%(36,703)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 196.8%(35,488)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 246.4%(32,986)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3414.9%(77,359)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4416.4%(84,990)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5413.6%(70,640)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 648.3%(43,108)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 746%(31,302)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 844.2%(21,741)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over1.6%(8,474)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$45,993
+14%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $30,653 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$22,866
+56%since 1990
from $14,626 in 1990
US average: $21,522
Poverty rate
7.4%
−1.4 ptssince 1990
from 8.8% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$98,642
+33%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $56,385 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$548
+2%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $406 in 1990
US average: $602
Owner-occupied
71.3%
+3.3 ptssince 1990
from 68.0% in 1990
28.7% rent
RELATED:See current rent listings in Des Moines on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

1990
White, non-Hispanic94.5%(426,463)
Black3.3%(14,743)
Hispanic / Latino1.6%(7,142)
Asian1.3%(6,069)
2000
White, non-Hispanic89.1%(462,042)
Black3.6%(18,596)
Hispanic / Latino3.8%(19,730)
Asian2%(10,398)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

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

Hispanic origin
Mexican5.8%(42,668)
Central American1.4%(10,019)
Salvadoran0.7%(5,015)
Puerto Rican0.5%(3,770)
South American0.4%(2,733)
Guatemalan0.3%(2,285)
Honduran0.3%(2,199)
Spaniard0.2%(1,176)
Colombian0.1%(908)
Cuban0.1%(795)
Ecuadorian0.1%(675)
Peruvian0.1%(448)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Chilean0%(273)
Dominican0%(197)
Argentine0%(195)
Venezuelan0%(194)
Nicaraguan0%(183)
Panamanian0%(115)
Asian origin
Asian Indian1%(6,847)
Burmese0.8%(4,473)
Vietnamese0.5%(3,562)
Laotian0.5%(2,984)
Chinese0.4%(2,701)
Nepalese0.2%(1,595)
Korean0.2%(1,578)
Filipino0.2%(1,097)
Bhutanese0.1%(611)
Kazakh0.1%(574)
Thai0.1%(486)
Cambodian0.1%(321)
+ 8 more asian origin groups with data
Hmong0%(216)
Japanese0%(208)
Malaysian0%(159)
Sri Lankan0%(137)
Taiwanese0%(98)
Pakistani0%(45)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(152)
Samoan0%(91)
Fijian0.2%(24)
Tongan0%(15)
Ancestry
German26%(189,796)
Irish13.8%(100,918)
English12.1%(88,318)
Norwegian3.9%(28,424)
American3.7%(26,959)
Dutch3.1%(23,003)
Italian3.1%(22,749)
Swedish2.5%(17,977)
Subsaharan African2.4%(17,443)
Scottish1.9%(13,792)
French1.5%(11,077)
Danish1.3%(9,393)
+ 47 more ancestry groups with data
Polish1.2%(9,054)
Czech0.8%(5,934)
Welsh0.7%(5,424)
Scotch-Irish0.7%(5,302)
Russian0.4%(2,644)
British0.4%(2,608)
Arab0.3%(2,213)
Swiss0.3%(2,035)
Hungarian0.2%(1,513)
Croatian0.2%(1,342)
West Indian0.2%(1,307)
Somali0.2%(1,303)
Greek0.2%(1,176)
Ethiopian0.2%(1,155)
French Canadian0.2%(1,115)
Austrian0.1%(1,052)
Nigerian0.2%(1,003)
Finnish0.1%(783)
Ukrainian0.1%(774)
Belgian0.1%(679)
Jamaican0.1%(679)
Lebanese0.1%(638)
Lithuanian0.1%(614)
Latvian0.1%(518)
Romanian0.1%(468)
Portuguese0.1%(466)
Egyptian0.1%(465)
Canadian0.1%(451)
Haitian0.1%(441)
Kenyan0.1%(359)
Slovak0.1%(351)
Moroccan0%(268)
Serbian0%(250)
Brazilian0%(220)
Ghanaian0%(202)
Iraqi0%(187)
Turkish0%(157)
Slovene0%(155)
Iranian0%(152)
Bulgarian0%(122)
Armenian0%(54)
Israeli0%(42)
Syrian0%(20)
Jordanian0%(19)
RANKED:Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest English population · Largest Mexican population · Largest Norwegian population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
27.1%
+5.9 ptssince 1990
from 21.2% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
88.4%
+3.8 ptssince 1990
from 84.5% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
Graduate degree
7.7%
+1.5 ptssince 1990
from 6.3% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
12.2 min
−36%since 1990
from 19.2 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married26.6%(51,911)
Married62%(120,952)
Widowed2.2%(4,264)
Divorced9.2%(17,889)
Women 15+
Never married22%(46,482)
Married57.2%(120,744)
Widowed9.1%(19,158)
Divorced11.8%(24,882)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
In this metro

Largest cities

Des MoinesCENTRAL212,086Ankeny77,833West Des MoinesCENTRAL74,224Urbandale48,570Waukee34,890Johnston25,065Altoona22,796Clive19,861Grimes17,405Indianola16,829Newton15,741Norwalk15,004Pleasant Hill11,239Bondurant9,647Perry8,208Adel7,098Polk City6,630Winterset5,520Windsor Heights5,059Carlisle4,532Saylorville3,366Mitchellville2,671Colfax2,303Granger2,179Dallas Center2,042Monroe2,022Van Meter1,978Prairie City1,724Guthrie Center1,583Earlham1,396

The 30 most populous of 73 cities and towns in this metro. CENTRAL marks the metro's principal cities.

What's inside

6 component counties

Polk CountyCENTRAL516,546Dallas CountyCENTRAL118,457Warren County57,331Jasper County38,153Madison County17,270Guthrie County10,782
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Des Moines

Colorado Springs
Pop 781,796
Madison
Pop 709,685
Boise City
Pop 864,243
Charleston
Pop 889,263
Places similar to Des Moines
Head to head

Compare Des Moines side by side

DES MOINES VS
Colorado Springs
Income$90,201+96%
Home value$461,611+368%
Population781,796+3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DES MOINES VS
Madison
Income$88,936+93%
Home value$373,185+278%
Population709,685−6%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DES MOINES VS
Boise City
Income$85,629+86%
Home value$469,641+376%
Population864,243+14%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DES MOINES VS
Charleston
Income$85,207+85%
Home value$404,179+310%
Population889,263+17%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA has about 518,607 residents according to the 2000 Census.

What is the median household income in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?

The typical household in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA earns about $45,993 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA expensive?

In Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, the median home is worth about $98,642, and the typical rent is about $548 a month.

How educated are people in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?

About 27.1% of adults age 25 and over in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?

About 7.4% of people in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA live below the federal poverty line.

Has Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA grown since 1990?

Yes, Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA has grown since 1990. The population has added about 67,466 residents, a change of about 15 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →