Population 4,214 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Accent
Household size in Accent
| Period | Accent | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.31 | 2.51 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.37 | 2.56 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.62 | 2.55 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.76 | 2.52 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.45 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Accent average 2.76 people, a bit above the national 2.65, so families with children are somewhat more common here. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.31, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change. Accent has larger households than at least four in five Des Moines neighborhoods.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Accent
| Period | Accent | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.1 | 36.2 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 35.2 | 36.7 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 34.1 | 37.2 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.8 | 37.6 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.7 | +1.4 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
At 38.8, the median age in Accent is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. Compared with other Des Moines neighborhoods, Accent is older than most.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Accent
| Period | Accent | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.0% | 10.2% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.3% | 11.1% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.4% | 10.9% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 15.0% | 11.2% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.1 pts | +0.9 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in seven households in Accent (15.0%), well above the national share of 11.6%.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Accent
Renters in Accent
| Period | Accent | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.2% | 27.3% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 20.5% | 29.3% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.3% | 30.3% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 18.6% | 30.5% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.6 pts | +3.2 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 18.6% of households in Accent rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. About a third of owners (34.2%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%. Only one other Des Moines neighborhood has a lower share of renters.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Accent
| Period | Accent | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.0% | 7.7% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.5% | 7.2% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.9% | 7.2% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.2% | 7.0% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.2 pts | −0.7 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 4.2% of homes in Accent are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing. Accent has the lowest vacancy rate of any Des Moines neighborhood.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Accent
| Period | Accent | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1942 | 1976 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1949 | 1977 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1949 | 1979 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1952 | 1983 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +10 | +7 | +6 | +6 |
The housing in Accent is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1952, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Accent
| Period | Accent | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $859 | $808 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $883 | $899 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,044 | $986 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,193 | $1,210 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$334 | +$402 | +$351 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Accent costs $1,193 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The Des Moines area as a whole looks much the same. Rent takes 19.3% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Accent
Bachelor's degrees in Accent
| Period | Accent | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.6% | 33.6% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.4% | 35.5% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.6% | 37.1% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.5% | 40.3% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.0 pts | +6.6 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Accent: 12.5% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. Only two of Des Moines' 22 neighborhoods have a lower share of college graduates.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Accent
| Period | Accent | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 82.8% | 91.9% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.3% | 92.8% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 87.9% | 92.7% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 84.2% | 92.9% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.4 pts | +1.0 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly one in six adults in Accent never finished high school, well above the national share: only 84.2% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Accent
| Period | Accent | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.3% | 4.8% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 4.4% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.2% | 3.8% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.7% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | +5.3 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Accent: 11.7% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. No other Des Moines neighborhood has higher unemployment. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Accent compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accent | 2.76 | 38.8 | 15.0% | 18.6% | 4.2% | 1952 | $1,193 | 12.5% | 84.2% | 11.7% |
| Fairground | 2.74 | 33.4 | 18.6% | 19.6% | 10.2% | 1940 | $1,117 | 14.8% | 78.5% | 8.1% |
| Fairmont Park | 2.41 | 37.8 | 13.5% | 31.9% | 11.8% | 1954 | $1,248 | 13.3% | 89.4% | 5.8% |
| Douglas Acres | 2.64 | 36.8 | 17.1% | 38.7% | 6.1% | 1971 | $1,179 | 17.5% | 85.9% | 6.3% |
| Union Park | 2.77 | 33.9 | 16.5% | 20.2% | 7.1% | 1946 | $1,320 | 15.9% | 80.2% | 5.6% |
| Capitol Park | 3.14 | 36.6 | 26.8% | 39.3% | 11.2% | 1945 | $1,084 | 15.1% | 80.5% | 8.6% |
| Highland Park | 2.56 | 35.5 | 23.9% | 34.0% | 11.7% | 1950 | $1,054 | 11.6% | 78.9% | 6.5% |
| Pioneer Park | 2.63 | 31.4 | 24.1% | 52.2% | 6.1% | 1983 | $1,110 | 18.3% | 73.8% | 7.5% |
| River Bend | 2.73 | 35.7 | 22.1% | 49.2% | 17.9% | 1944 | $934 | 9.9% | 69.0% | 4.5% |
| Downtown Des Moines | 1.34 | 28.0 | 7.7% | 90.5% | 12.6% | 1985 | $1,283 | 67.0% | 94.4% | 4.0% |
| Indianola Hills | 2.40 | 35.8 | 17.3% | 33.8% | 11.0% | 1955 | $1,189 | 20.3% | 87.5% | 4.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: West Willow, Ypsilanti, MI · West Laurel, Laurel, MD · Car Town, Kannapolis, NC · Bradley Estates, Milwaukee, WI · Miller Park, Lynchburg, VA · Cloutier Court, Wilmington, DE · Colonial Hills, Lincoln, NE · Sunset Hills, Peoria, IL · Squak Mountain, Issaquah, WA · Ol Sun, Clifton, CO
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Accent. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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