Des Moines, Iowa Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Des Moines, IA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
B
Health Around average
-
C
Income Below average
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Des Moines | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 209,502 | 3,204,793 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2309.6 | 57.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.17% | 0.41% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 33.4 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 88,920 | 1,308,457 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Des Moines grew by 7.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 209,502 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Des Moines is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 24.8% of residents. That is 2.5 points above Iowa as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 51,988 24.8% +2.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 48,555 23.2% +2.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 39,353 18.8% -0.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 28,340 13.5% -4.1 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Iowa, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.4% of the people living in Des Moines and men 49.6%.
- Women 50.4% Iowa 50.0%
- Men 49.6% Iowa 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Des Moines
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Des Moines has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Des Moines | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $66,314 | $75,133 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.17% | 3.99% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.7% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Des Moines is about 12% lower than in Iowa.
Housing
| Metric | Des Moines | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $176,048 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,089 | $971 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 60.4% | 71.7% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Des Moines is about 13.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,089 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Des Moines spend about 36 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 148 hours, about 6.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Des Moines | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.8 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 35.6 | 33.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 148 | 141 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,594 | $4,382 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 13.1% | 11.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 15,673 | 4,993 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,118 | 606 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Des Moines is 18 minutes, longer than the 17 minutes in Iowa.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Des Moines has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Des Moines | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.0% | 27.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.30 | 2.37 | 2.53 |
Health
Des Moines has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Des Moines | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.2 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.2% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.0% | 17.6% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Des Moines, Iowa.
How many people live in Des Moines, Iowa?
About 209,502 people live in Des Moines, Iowa, in 88,920 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 33.4, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Des Moines, Iowa mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Des Moines, Iowa has 2,310 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 27 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Des Moines, Iowa?
The median home costs 2.7 times the median household income ($176,048 against $66,314), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,089 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →