Population 32,217 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Des Moines
Household size in Des Moines
| Period | Des Moines | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.47 | 2.52 | 2.56 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.69 | 2.59 | 2.62 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.62 | 2.62 | 2.62 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.88 | 2.60 | 2.61 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.41 | +0.09 | +0.05 | −0.03 |
Households in Des Moines average 2.88 people, above the national 2.65, so families with children are more common here. Household size has climbed from 2.47 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell.
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 Des Moines
| Period | Des Moines | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.5 | 37.5 | 38.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.8 | 38.1 | 38.7 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.2 | 38.5 | 39.3 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 37.8 | 38.8 | 39.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | −3.7 | +1.3 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
Des Moines is a little younger than the country as a whole: its median age is 37.8, against 40.1 nationally. Since 2006–10, the median age has dropped from 41.5, even as the national median rose. The youngest areas are in the northeast, the oldest in the center.
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 Des Moines
| Period | Des Moines | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.5% | 10.3% | 10.9% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.4% | 10.0% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.0% | 9.2% | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.0% | 9.1% | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.5 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are more common in Des Moines than nationally: 14.0%, against 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged up 1.5 points, even as the national share fell. Des Moines has a higher share of single-parent households than at least four in five Washington cities.
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 Des Moines
Renters in Des Moines
| Period | Des Moines | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.3% | 37.7% | 35.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 42.0% | 40.0% | 37.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 39.8% | 39.9% | 37.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 39.9% | 40.0% | 36.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | +5.5 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is a bit more common in Des Moines than nationally: 39.9% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% for the U.S. Among homeowners, 43.5% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the northeast and least common in the northwest. The renter share is up 5.5 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Des Moines
| Period | Des Moines | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.5% | 7.9% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.1% | 7.8% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.8% | 6.8% | 8.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.5% | 6.6% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | −5.1 pts | −1.3 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Des Moines: just 5.5% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. The picture is much the same across the Seattle area. Vacancy is down 5.1 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Des Moines
| Period | Des Moines | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1971 | 1977 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1973 | 1978 | 1979 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1975 | 1980 | 1980 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1974 | 1983 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +7 | +6 | +6 |
Housing in Des Moines leans a little older: the median home dates to 1974, against 1980 nationally. The newest homes are mostly in the southeast, the oldest in the northwest. Des Moines has older homes than at least four in five Washington cities.
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 Des Moines
| Period | Des Moines | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $965 | $1,162 | $1,018 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,222 | $1,284 | $1,127 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,373 | $1,644 | $1,390 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,903 | $2,193 | $1,875 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$937 | +$1,031 | +$858 | +$606 |
Rent in Des Moines runs $1,903 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. Locally, though, rents here are lower than in the wider Seattle area ($2,193). Rents are up $937 a month from 2006–10, a 97% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 39.8% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 Des Moines
Bachelor's degrees in Des Moines
| Period | Des Moines | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.8% | 36.7% | 31.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 23.3% | 38.0% | 32.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.8% | 42.3% | 35.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 29.6% | 46.3% | 38.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.8 pts | +9.6 pts | +7.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are a little less common in Des Moines than nationally: 29.6% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 8.8 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the northwest and least in the northeast.
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 Des Moines
| Period | Des Moines | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 86.2% | 91.3% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 84.2% | 91.6% | 90.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 85.5% | 92.5% | 91.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 87.4% | 93.1% | 91.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.2 pts | +1.8 pts | +2.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in eight adults in Des Moines never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 87.4% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma is up 1.2 points from 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. Des Moines has a lower share of high school graduates than at least four in five Washington cities.
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 Des Moines
| Period | Des Moines | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.5% | 6.9% | 7.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.3% | 8.3% | 8.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.6% | 4.5% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.0% | 5.0% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.6 pts | −2.0 pts | −2.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs high in Des Moines: 7.0% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment is up 0.6 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate fell. 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).
Des Moines compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines | 2.88 | 37.8 | 14.0% | 39.9% | 5.5% | 1974 | $1,903 | 29.6% | 87.4% | 7.0% |
| Normandy Park | 2.58 | 45.3 | 4.0% | 19.1% | 9.7% | 1962 | $2,218 | 59.3% | 97.7% | 2.7% |
| SeaTac | 2.74 | 37.0 | 11.9% | 52.8% | 7.8% | 1977 | $1,779 | 28.0% | 84.9% | 8.6% |
| Lakeland North | 3.15 | 39.7 | 13.4% | 32.8% | 4.1% | 1984 | $2,333 | 26.2% | 85.7% | 4.8% |
| Kent | 2.92 | 35.8 | 12.2% | 48.2% | 6.9% | 1987 | $2,074 | 28.7% | 84.7% | 6.9% |
| Burien | 2.63 | 40.6 | 13.6% | 43.6% | 9.2% | 1966 | $1,968 | 34.6% | 86.7% | 6.9% |
| Federal Way | 2.85 | 38.4 | 11.9% | 44.3% | 6.9% | 1984 | $1,910 | 29.6% | 88.9% | 5.6% |
| Tukwila | 2.66 | 34.9 | 12.8% | 59.3% | 6.7% | 1982 | $1,958 | 30.4% | 82.4% | 7.7% |
| East Hill-Meridian | 2.94 | 40.6 | 10.2% | 25.5% | 4.6% | 1984 | $2,227 | 34.0% | 90.0% | 5.7% |
| Vashon | 2.37 | 51.8 | 5.3% | 17.3% | 21.6% | 1974 | $1,600 | 50.7% | 97.4% | 6.0% |
| Bryn Mawr-Skyway | 2.81 | 40.7 | 14.2% | 42.7% | 8.1% | 1971 | $2,050 | 34.5% | 87.1% | 7.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Williston, ND · Ken Caryl, CO · Knightdale, NC · Troy, OH · Ambler, PA · Derry, NH · University Park, FL · Watertown, NY · Waycross, GA · Cottonwood Heights, UT
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 Des Moines. 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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