Population 5,136 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Indianola Hills: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Indianola Hills
Household size in Indianola Hills
| Period | Indianola Hills | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.58 | 2.51 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.59 | 2.56 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.47 | 2.55 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.40 | 2.52 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.18 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The average household in Indianola Hills has 2.40 people, under the U.S. average of 2.65. Household size has dropped from 2.58 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Households are largest in the northeast and smallest in the south.
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 Indianola Hills
| Period | Indianola Hills | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.2 | 36.2 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 37.0 | 36.7 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.1 | 37.2 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 35.8 | 37.6 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.6 | +1.4 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
Indianola Hills is young: half of its residents are under 35.8, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples. The median age has climbed from 33.2 in 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Indianola Hills
| Period | Indianola Hills | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.7% | 10.2% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 17.2% | 11.1% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 16.0% | 10.9% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 17.3% | 11.2% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.4 pts | +0.9 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Indianola Hills: 17.3% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged down 1.4 points, as it has nationally.
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 Indianola Hills
Renters in Indianola Hills
| Period | Indianola Hills | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.7% | 27.3% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 29.5% | 29.3% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.2% | 30.3% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 33.8% | 30.5% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | +6.1 pts | +3.2 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
About a third of households in Indianola Hills rent their homes (33.8%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Renters make up a bigger share here than in the Des Moines area as a whole (30.5%). Among homeowners, 25.8% have no mortgage at all, well below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is up 6.1 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 Indianola Hills
| Period | Indianola Hills | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.6% | 7.7% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.2% | 7.2% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.9% | 7.2% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.0% | 7.0% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | +3.5 pts | −0.7 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Indianola Hills is close to the national rate: 11.0% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in the Des Moines area overall (7.0%). Vacancy has risen 3.5 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
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 Indianola Hills
| Period | Indianola Hills | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1955 | 1976 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1955 | 1977 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1955 | 1979 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1955 | 1983 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | −0 | +7 | +6 | +6 |
The housing in Indianola Hills is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1955, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The newest homes are mostly in the northeast, the oldest in the northwest.
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 Indianola Hills
| Period | Indianola Hills | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $874 | $808 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $843 | $899 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $878 | $986 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,189 | $1,210 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$315 | +$402 | +$351 | +$606 |
Rent in Indianola Hills runs $1,189 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $315 a month from 2006–10, a 36% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 34.2% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the northeast; the highest 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 Indianola Hills
Bachelor's degrees in Indianola Hills
| Period | Indianola Hills | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.4% | 33.6% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.6% | 35.5% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.5% | 37.1% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 20.3% | 40.3% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +11.8 pts | +6.6 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Indianola Hills have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 20.3%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 11.8 points, mirroring the country.
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 Indianola Hills
| Period | Indianola Hills | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 83.6% | 91.9% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.1% | 92.8% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 84.7% | 92.7% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 87.5% | 92.9% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.9 pts | +1.0 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in eight adults in Indianola Hills 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 is up 3.9 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Indianola Hills
| Period | Indianola Hills | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.4% | 4.8% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.4% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.5% | 3.8% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.5% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.9 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Indianola Hills than nationally: unemployment was 4.5%, against 5.4%. Unemployment is down 2.9 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. 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).
Indianola Hills 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indianola Hills | 2.40 | 35.8 | 17.3% | 33.8% | 11.0% | 1955 | $1,189 | 20.3% | 87.5% | 4.5% |
| South Park | 2.12 | 37.2 | 16.0% | 52.6% | 7.4% | 1964 | $977 | 18.5% | 82.4% | 9.1% |
| Pioneer Park | 2.63 | 31.4 | 24.1% | 52.2% | 6.1% | 1983 | $1,110 | 18.3% | 73.8% | 7.5% |
| Downtown Des Moines | 1.34 | 28.0 | 7.7% | 90.5% | 12.6% | 1985 | $1,283 | 67.0% | 94.4% | 4.0% |
| Greater South Side | 2.30 | 40.2 | 10.5% | 20.5% | 4.8% | 1957 | $1,152 | 22.8% | 94.2% | 4.4% |
| Fort des Moines | 2.64 | 34.2 | 13.2% | 32.7% | 8.9% | 1960 | $960 | 21.0% | 75.2% | 3.5% |
| Southwestern Hills | 2.24 | 40.1 | 8.7% | 38.3% | 6.0% | 1977 | $1,121 | 48.6% | 93.9% | 4.2% |
| Capitol Park | 3.14 | 36.6 | 26.8% | 39.3% | 11.2% | 1945 | $1,084 | 15.1% | 80.5% | 8.6% |
| Bloomfield-Allen | 2.84 | 37.2 | 14.7% | 16.8% | 5.8% | 2001 | $1,357 | 27.9% | 88.2% | 7.3% |
| River Bend | 2.73 | 35.7 | 22.1% | 49.2% | 17.9% | 1944 | $934 | 9.9% | 69.0% | 4.5% |
| Fairground | 2.74 | 33.4 | 18.6% | 19.6% | 10.2% | 1940 | $1,117 | 14.8% | 78.5% | 8.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Abram-Perezville, Mission, TX · Highlands Historic District, State College, PA · Teaticket, East Falmouth, MA · Tree Streets, Provo, UT · Downtown Fayetteville, Fayetteville, NC · Del Prado, Pleasanton, CA · Dayton-Campbell Historic District, Hamilton, OH · Covell Park, Davis, CA · West End Helena, Helena, MT · Clinton, Oakland, CA
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 Indianola Hills. 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.