Population 2,959 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Capitol Park
Household size in Capitol Park
| Period | Capitol Park | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.83 | 2.51 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.28 | 2.56 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.89 | 2.55 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.14 | 2.52 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.30 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Capitol Park is a place of big households: 3.14 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Household size has climbed from 2.83 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change. Capitol Park has the largest households of any Des Moines neighborhood.
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 Capitol Park
| Period | Capitol Park | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.8 | 36.2 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 27.2 | 36.7 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 29.3 | 37.2 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 36.6 | 37.6 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +8.7 | +1.4 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
Capitol Park is younger than the country as a whole: its median age is 36.6, against 40.1 nationally. The Des Moines area as a whole looks much the same.
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 Capitol Park
| Period | Capitol Park | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.7% | 10.2% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 27.5% | 11.1% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 26.8% | 10.9% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 26.8% | 11.2% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.1 pts | +0.9 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head more than a quarter of households in Capitol Park (26.8%), well above the national share of 11.6%. No other Des Moines neighborhood has a higher share of single-parent households.
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 Capitol Park
Renters in Capitol Park
| Period | Capitol Park | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 58.5% | 27.3% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 57.0% | 29.3% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 47.6% | 30.3% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 39.3% | 30.5% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | −19.3 pts | +3.2 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is a bit more common in Capitol Park than nationally: 39.3% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% for the U.S. Among homeowners, 32.0% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%.
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 Capitol Park
| Period | Capitol Park | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.1% | 7.7% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.3% | 7.2% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.5% | 7.2% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.2% | 7.0% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.9 pts | −0.7 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs a little high in Capitol Park: 11.2% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones.
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 Capitol Park
| Period | Capitol Park | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1938 | 1976 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1938 | 1977 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1946 | 1979 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1945 | 1983 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +7 | +6 | +6 |
The housing in Capitol Park is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1945, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. Capitol Park has older homes than most Des Moines neighborhoods.
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 Capitol Park
| Period | Capitol Park | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $548 | $808 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $690 | $899 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $818 | $986 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,084 | $1,210 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$536 | +$402 | +$351 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Capitol Park costs $1,084 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 35.1% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Capitol Park has lower rents than the great majority of Des Moines neighborhoods.
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 Capitol Park
Bachelor's degrees in Capitol Park
| Period | Capitol Park | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.4% | 33.6% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.8% | 35.5% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.0% | 37.1% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.1% | 40.3% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.7 pts | +6.6 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Capitol Park have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 15.1%, against 35.6% nationally. Compared with other Des Moines neighborhoods, Capitol Park has a lower share of college graduates than most.
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 Capitol Park
| Period | Capitol Park | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 64.9% | 91.9% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 69.8% | 92.8% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 73.9% | 92.7% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 80.5% | 92.9% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +15.6 pts | +1.0 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in five adults in Capitol Park never finished high school, well above the national share: only 80.5% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. Capitol Park has a lower share of high school graduates than most Des Moines neighborhoods.
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 Capitol Park
| Period | Capitol Park | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.8% | 4.8% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 13.2% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.9% | 3.8% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.6% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.8 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Capitol Park runs well above the national rate: 8.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Only two of Des Moines' 22 neighborhoods have higher unemployment. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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).
Capitol Park 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capitol Park | 3.14 | 36.6 | 26.8% | 39.3% | 11.2% | 1945 | $1,084 | 15.1% | 80.5% | 8.6% |
| Union Park | 2.77 | 33.9 | 16.5% | 20.2% | 7.1% | 1946 | $1,320 | 15.9% | 80.2% | 5.6% |
| 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% |
| Highland Park | 2.56 | 35.5 | 23.9% | 34.0% | 11.7% | 1950 | $1,054 | 11.6% | 78.9% | 6.5% |
| 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% |
| Accent | 2.76 | 38.8 | 15.0% | 18.6% | 4.2% | 1952 | $1,193 | 12.5% | 84.2% | 11.7% |
| Oak Park | 2.24 | 39.9 | 24.5% | 20.5% | 9.4% | 1943 | $1,207 | 24.1% | 85.7% | 1.6% |
| Indianola Hills | 2.40 | 35.8 | 17.3% | 33.8% | 11.0% | 1955 | $1,189 | 20.3% | 87.5% | 4.5% |
| Drake | 2.21 | 28.2 | 10.4% | 55.9% | 9.2% | 1944 | $1,140 | 38.4% | 87.5% | 7.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Downtown Grand Forks, Grand Forks, ND · Westbury, Lehi, UT · Heart of the City, Beaumont, TX · Fondren North Renaissance, Jackson, MS · Bluemound Heights, Milwaukee, WI · Historic Montford, Asheville, NC · Fairview, Charlotte, NC · Burrage, Hanson, MA · Coquina Key, St. Petersburg, FL · Downtown Conneaut, Conneaut, OH
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 Capitol Park. 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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