Des Moines, Iowa
Cost of living, housing, income, commute, climate, and safety — compiled for relocators researching Des Moines.
Key figures
Each metric shows how Des Moines compares with the U.S. baseline (ACS/BLS nationals where available; catalog-city averages for crime, climate, and commute). Income, housing, population, and crime are for the incorporated city (city limits), not the broader metro/MSA — unemployment is county-level (BLS LAUS).
- Population
- 212,464City limits · not metro/MSA
- Median household income
- $63,966Incorporated place (ACS)19% below U.S. avgU.S. $78,538
- Housing cost index
- 69ACS home+rent vs U.S. (100 = avg)31% below U.S. avgU.S. 100
- Median home value
- $183,700City limits (ACS)39% below U.S. avgU.S. $303,400
- Median rent
- $1,054City limits (ACS)22% below U.S. avgU.S. $1,348
- Unemployment
- 3.0%County LAUS · not city-onlyNear U.S. avg (4.2 pts)U.S. 4.2 pts
- Avg commute
- 19 min24% below U.S. avgU.S. 25 min
- Walk Score
- 45Near U.S. avg (45)U.S. 45
- Violent crime rate
- 712annualized per 100k · citywide18% above U.S. avgU.S. 602.7
- Property crime rate
- 4090.5annualized per 100k · citywide33% above U.S. avgU.S. 3084.9
- Summer high
- 84°F3.0°F below U.S. avgU.S. 87°F
- Winter low
- 17°F17.0°F below U.S. avgU.S. 34°F
- Annual rainfall
- 36.5 in11% above U.S. avgU.S. 32.9 in
- Sunny days
- 2525% below U.S. avgU.S. 266
Compare Des Moines with another city
Prairie winters and a strong agribusiness employment base anchor the economy. Winter lows around 17°F mean heating costs and snow logistics belong on the checklist. Average one-way commute time is about 19 minutes, and Walk Score estimates land around 45/100. A recent county unemployment reading near 3.0% suggests a relatively tight local labor market. Violent-offense rates near 712 per 100k sit in a mid-to-elevated band versus many peer cities in this catalog.
Des Moines (pop. 212,464) sits in Iowa. With median income around $63,966 and a cost index of 69, the market reads among the more affordable large markets in this catalog on housing costs. Entry home prices around $183,700 still look attainable compared with coastal metros.
Des Moines is compact enough that a single wrong neighborhood choice is easy to feel day to day — visit at commute hour before signing. Figures on this page are merged from Census ACS, BLS LAUS, FBI Crime Data Explorer, and NOAA Climate Normals — use them to compare Des Moines with nearby alternatives before you relocate.
Nearby & similar cities
Continue researching with these internal links — each page is a full data profile.
Sources
- Census / ACS: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 5-year (Des Moines city, 1600000US1921000)
- BLS: BLS LAUS LAUCN191530000000003 (Polk County, May 2026)
- Crime: FBI CIUS Table 8 (2019) city offenses known to law enforcement — rates per 100k; CDE API unavailable at enrich time
- Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 Monthly Normals (USW00014933 DES MOINES INTL AP)
Last updated 2026-07-28