Des Moines is a city located in Polk County Iowa. Des Moines has a 2024 population of 209,232. It is also the county seat of Polk County. Des Moines is currently declining at a rate of -0.55% annually and its population has decreased by -2.15% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 213,826 in 2020.
The average household income in Des Moines is $79,959 with a poverty rate of 15.2%. The median age in Des Moines is 34.4 years: 34.1 years for males, and 34.9 years for females.
Des Moines is the capital and most populous city of Iowa. The city is named for the Des Moines River, and it's located where the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers meet. The city is vital in United States presidential politics and frequently tops lists as one of the best cities for business and living.
The five-county metropolitan region has an estimated population of 590,000 and ranks 88th in the country.
The Hispanic population has grown dramatically, up from 6.61% of the population in 20000. The most common European ancestry groups are German (20.9%), Irish (10.3%), American (9.1%), and English (8.0%).
Des Moines has an unemployment rate of just 4.6% -- lower than the national average -- with a cost of living that is 8.1% below the national average.
Since 2010, three-quarters of the population growth in Iowa has been concentrated in just ten cities, most of which are in the central part of the state. The largest population growth in the last four years has been seen in Des Moines and Ames. The cities with the highest growth, in order, are Ankeny, West Des Moines, Iowa City, and Des Moines.
In 2012, the population of Des Moines grew by an estimated 1.6% from 2010, compared to 0.91% for the state as a whole and 0.58% for the Midwest.
Humans have occupied Des Moines for at least 7,000 years, with many ancient occupation areas in present-day downtown Des Moines. There were also about 18 prehistoric American Indian mounds in the downtown area seen by early settlers, although all were destroyed.
The City of Des Moines traces its start to 1843, when Captain James Allen oversaw the construction of a fort where the Raccoon and Des Moines Rivers meet. While he wanted to name it Fort Raccoon, the War Department had him name it Fort Des Moines. The fort was constructed to control nearby Indians, who were transplanted to the area from their lands in the eastern part of the state. In 1846, the fort was abandoned when the Meskwaki and Sauk Indians were removed from the state.
Settlers took over the abandoned fort and surrounding areas. By 1846, Fort Des Moines became the seat of Polk County, although a great deal of the town was destroyed by the Flood of 1851 when the Raccoon and Des Moines rivers rose.
In 1851, Des Moines was incorporated and renamed to just Des Moines 6 years later as the state capital was moved to the city from Iowa City. Growth eventually exploded once a railroad link was finished in 1866. By 1900, Des Moines was the largest city in the state with 62,100 people, which was more than 97% white and less than 3% black.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Des Moines was:
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
---|---|---|
White | 149,019 | 69.91% |
Black or African American | 25,057 | 11.75% |
Two or more races | 15,728 | 7.38% |
Asian | 14,092 | 6.61% |
Other race | 8,546 | 4.01% |
Native American | 654 | 0.31% |
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 68 | 0.03% |
White
Black or African American
Two or more races
Asian
Other race
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
---|---|---|---|---|
All | 88,894 | 2.34 | 60.3 | 39.7 |
Non Family | 40,910 | 1.26 | 44.4 | 55.6 |
Married | 30,832 | 3.22 | 84 | 16 |
Female | 12,310 | 3.43 | 50.4 | 49.6 |
Male | 4,842 | 3.16 | 68.1 | 31.9 |
3.14
Average Family Size
2.34
Average Household Size
60.3%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
9th to 12th Grade | 8,500 | 6.06% |
Associates Degree | 13,194 | 9.41% |
Bachelors Degree | 27,602 | 19.69% |
Graduate Degree | 12,628 | 9.01% |
High School Graduate | 40,927 | 29.19% |
Less Than 9th Grade | 8,862 | 6.32% |
Some College | 28,476 | 20.31% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
---|---|---|---|
White | 100,089 | 94,768 | 33,672 |
Hispanic | 14,224 | 8,743 | 1,472 |
Black | 13,358 | 10,642 | 2,060 |
Asian | 8,832 | 5,468 | 2,173 |
2+ Races | 6,788 | 5,044 | 1,342 |
Other Race | 4,246 | 2,149 | 225 |
Native American | 405 | 368 | 74 |
Islander | 20 | 18 | 0 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 94.68%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among white people with a rate of 33.64%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
---|---|---|---|
Bachelors Degree | $58,212 | $66,483 | $52,068 |
Graduate Degree | $74,958 | $84,665 | $71,143 |
High School Graduate | $36,195 | $41,880 | $29,193 |
Less Than 9th Grade | $31,733 | $37,527 | $25,717 |
Overall | $44,860 | $50,094 | $38,890 |
Some College | $41,993 | $48,723 | $37,251 |
$44,860
Average Earnings
$50,094
Average Male
$38,890
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
79.47% of Des Moines residents speak only English, while 20.53% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 10.17% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
---|---|---|---|
White | 131,328 | 14,180 | 10.8% |
Black | 24,575 | 8,162 | 33.21% |
Hispanic | 30,307 | 5,651 | 18.65% |
Multiple | 15,580 | 3,020 | 19.38% |
Asian | 13,988 | 2,075 | 14.83% |
Other | 8,536 | 1,673 | 19.6% |
Native | 638 | 71 | 11.13% |
Islander | 61 | 1 | 1.64% |
15.2%
Overall Poverty Rate
14.58%
Male Poverty Rate
15.8%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Des Moines is Black, with 33.21% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Des Moines is Islander, with 1.64% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.97%. Among those working part-time, it was 19.26%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 27.21%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Less Than 9th Grade | 23.52% |
High School | 14.44% |
Some College | 10.5% |
Bachelors or Greater | 4.99% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Female Unemployed | 29.89% |
Male Unemployed | 28.56% |
Female Employed | 8.44% |
Male Employed | 6.11% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
---|---|---|
Families | $76,602 | $96,024 |
Households | $62,378 | $79,959 |
Married Families | $93,308 | $116,759 |
Non Families | $45,774 | $57,002 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
38.8%
Overall Marriage Rate
40.3%
Male Marriage Rate
37.4%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is 55-64, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
9,328
Number of Veterans
8,515
Male Veterans
813
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
---|---|
Vietnam | 3,158 |
Second Gulf War | 1,832 |
First Gulf War | 1,588 |
Korea | 656 |
World War II | 131 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
---|---|
65 to 74 | 2,251 |
35 to 54 | 2,041 |
55 to 64 | 2,033 |
75+ | 1,956 |
18 to 34 | 1,047 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
---|---|---|
White | 8,330 | 6.83% |
Black | 601 | 3.74% |
Hispanic | 304 | 1.66% |
2+ Races | 191 | 2.05% |
Asian | 105 | 0.99% |
Other Race | 86 | 1.66% |
Native American | 14 | 3.08% |
Islander | 1 | 3.7% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
9.34%
Veteran Poverty Rate
30.58%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
70%
Labor Force Participation
65.8%
Employment Rate
5.9%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
65.28%
Born in Des Moines
86.34%
Native Born
13.66%
Foreign Born
7.86%
Non Citizen
5.8%
Naturalized
86.34% of Des Moines residents were born in the United States, with 65.28% having been born in Iowa. 7.86% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.
Year | Population | Growth | Change |
---|---|---|---|
2029 | 203,490 | -1,149 | -0.56% |
2028 | 204,639 | -1,148 | -0.56% |
2027 | 205,787 | -1,148 | -0.55% |
2026 | 206,935 | -1,149 | -0.55% |
2025 | 208,084 | -1,148 | -0.55% |
2024 | 209,232 | -1,149 | -0.55% |
2023 | 210,381 | -667 | -0.32% |
2022 | 211,048 | -1,577 | -0.74% |
2021 | 212,625 | -1,201 | -0.56% |
2020 | 213,826 | -1,051 | -0.49% |
2019 | 214,877 | -1,427 | -0.66% |
2018 | 216,304 | -753 | -0.35% |
2017 | 217,057 | 475 | 0.22% |
2016 | 216,582 | 1,137 | 0.53% |
2015 | 215,445 | 932 | 0.43% |
2014 | 214,513 | 2,371 | 1.12% |
2013 | 212,142 | 1,815 | 0.86% |
2012 | 210,327 | 2,360 | 1.13% |
2011 | 207,967 | 2,925 | 1.43% |
2010 | 205,042 | 0 | 0% |
2000 | 198,682 | 5,495 | 2.84% |
1990 | 193,187 | 2,184 | 1.14% |
1980 | 191,003 | -10,401 | -5.16% |
1970 | 201,404 | -7,578 | -3.63% |
1960 | 208,982 | 31,017 | 17.43% |
1950 | 177,965 | 18,146 | 11.35% |
1940 | 159,819 | 17,260 | 12.11% |
1930 | 142,559 | 16,091 | 12.72% |
1920 | 126,468 | 40,100 | 46.43% |
1910 | 86,368 | 24,229 | 38.99% |
1900 | 62,139 | 12,046 | 24.05% |
1890 | 50,093 | 27,685 | 123.55% |
1880 | 22,408 | 10,373 | 86.19% |
1870 | 12,035 | 8,070 | 203.53% |
1860 | 3,965 | -199,525 | -98.05% |