Population 10,662 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Drake
Household size in Drake
| Period | Drake | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.52 | 2.51 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.75 | 2.56 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.46 | 2.55 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.21 | 2.52 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.31 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Drake are small: just 2.21 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.52, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Drake
| Period | Drake | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.8 | 36.2 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 28.6 | 36.7 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 28.8 | 37.2 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 28.2 | 37.6 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.5 | +1.4 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 28.2, Drake is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples. The median age has crept up from 27.8 in 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. Only one other Des Moines neighborhood is younger.
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 Drake
| Period | Drake | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.3% | 10.2% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 16.0% | 11.1% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 14.7% | 10.9% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.4% | 11.2% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | −4.9 pts | +0.9 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Drake (10.4%), a little below the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has fallen 4.9 points, a much bigger shift than nationally. Drake has a lower share of single-parent households than at least four in five Des Moines neighborhoods.
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 Drake
Renters in Drake
| Period | Drake | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 49.8% | 27.3% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 53.6% | 29.3% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 52.7% | 30.3% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 55.9% | 30.5% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | +6.1 pts | +3.2 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Drake rent: 55.9% of occupied homes are rented, far above the national share of 34.8%. Expect more apartments, and more turnover, than in owner-heavy areas. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 6.1 points, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only one other Des Moines neighborhood has a higher 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 Drake
| Period | Drake | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.0% | 7.7% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.7% | 7.2% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.7% | 7.2% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.2% | 7.0% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | −5.8 pts | −0.7 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Drake as nationally: 9.2%, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in the Des Moines area as a whole (7.0%). Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 5.8 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Drake
| Period | Drake | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1942 | 1976 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1945 | 1977 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1945 | 1979 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1944 | 1983 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +7 | +6 | +6 |
Drake is a place of older homes: half were built before 1944, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Newer construction is concentrated in the northeast, while the southwest has the oldest housing. Only two of Des Moines' 22 neighborhoods have older homes.
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 Drake
| Period | Drake | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $664 | $808 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $769 | $899 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $816 | $986 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,140 | $1,210 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$476 | +$402 | +$351 | +$606 |
The median renter in Drake pays $1,140 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $476 a month since 2006–10, up 72%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 34.5% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. The priciest rents are in the east; the most affordable are in the south.
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 Drake
Bachelor's degrees in Drake
| Period | Drake | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.9% | 33.6% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 32.3% | 35.5% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 33.0% | 37.1% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 38.4% | 40.3% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +13.6 pts | +6.6 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in Drake as nationally: 38.4% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 13.6 points, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the southwest 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 Drake
| Period | Drake | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 83.4% | 91.9% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 86.2% | 92.8% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 83.5% | 92.7% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 87.5% | 92.9% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.0 pts | +1.0 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in eight adults in Drake never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 87.5% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma has risen 4.0 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Drake
| Period | Drake | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.2% | 4.8% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.5% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.7% | 3.8% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.0% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs high in Drake: 7.0% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has edged up 0.9 points since 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).
Drake 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drake | 2.21 | 28.2 | 10.4% | 55.9% | 9.2% | 1944 | $1,140 | 38.4% | 87.5% | 7.0% |
| Beaverdale | 1.99 | 42.0 | 6.5% | 24.1% | 7.7% | 1944 | $1,253 | 48.7% | 95.1% | 6.4% |
| 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% |
| Merle Hay | 2.08 | 40.8 | 9.7% | 25.5% | 6.0% | 1955 | $1,228 | 35.3% | 93.7% | 4.4% |
| Lower Beaver | 2.37 | 36.4 | 18.0% | 26.3% | 7.5% | 1962 | $1,460 | 34.0% | 87.0% | 2.2% |
| Oak Park | 2.24 | 39.9 | 24.5% | 20.5% | 9.4% | 1943 | $1,207 | 24.1% | 85.7% | 1.6% |
| 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% |
| Meredith | 2.57 | 36.0 | 10.7% | 44.9% | 11.5% | 1973 | $1,185 | 31.7% | 88.4% | 3.3% |
| Highland Park | 2.56 | 35.5 | 23.9% | 34.0% | 11.7% | 1950 | $1,054 | 11.6% | 78.9% | 6.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Avenues West, Milwaukee, WI · Oak Park-Northwood, San Antonio, TX · Yerdemont, San Bernardino, CA · West University Austin, Austin, TX · West Garfield Park, Chicago, IL · Turnagain, Anchorage, AK · Southwest Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, CO · Silver Lake, Wilmington, NC · Northwood Point, Irvine, CA · Northwest Crossing, San Antonio, TX
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 Drake. 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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