IntelliMoveTake the quiz →Living in Des Moines, IA
Des Moines is a mid-size city of 212,421 people in Polk County, Iowa. It's part of the Des Moines, IA area. Summer highs average 86°F and winter highs 31°F, with about 36 inches of snow a year. The typical home is valued around $195k and rent runs about $1k a month.
212,421people
$195kTypical home
$1,090/moRent
86° / 31°Summer / winter
36"Snow
237Sunny days
113Rain/snow days
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Size & setting
- Mid-size city of 212,421
- Part of a metro area
- About 2,409 people per sq mi
- 176 mi to Kansas City, MO
- In the Des Moines, IA area
- Has its own stores and services
Money
- Typical home $195k (≈$1,228/mo)
- Median rent $1,090/mo
- Median household income $66k
- Property tax about 1.8% of value
- 6.0% unemployment
Weather
- Summer highs around 86°F
- Winter highs around 31°F
- Somewhat humid summers (dew point 63°F)
- 237 sunny days a year (89 totally clear)
- 128 cloudy days a year
- 40 of 90 winter days are gray
- 113 days a year with rain or snow
- 36" of snow a year
- 11 days a year with 1"+ of snow
- Rarely hits 100°F
- 29 nights a year below 10°F
- Breezy
Safety
- Above-average violent crime (638 per 100k)
- Above-average property crime (2,805 per 100k)
People
- Median age 35
- 29% of households have kids
- 13% are 65 or older
- 30% have a college degree
- Very diverse community
- 6% of residents are college students
Getting around & homes
- Average commute 21 min
- 3% walk or take transit to work
- 4 mi to DSM airport
- 4 mi to DSM (major hub)
- 53 mi to the nearest Amtrak station
- 66% single-family homes
- Typical home built around 1961
- 90% of homes have broadband
Outdoors
- Flat, open land
- Elevation 787 ft
- 796 mi to the ocean
- 243 mi to a big lake
- 27 mi to the nearest trailhead
- 4 mi to the nearest ski area
- 6 mi to the nearest campground
- 39 golf courses within 25 mi
Things to do
- 475 sit-down restaurants within 25 mi
- 135 bars within 25 mi
- 155 coffee shops within 25 mi
- 4 music venues & clubs within 25 mi
- 27 museums within 25 mi
- 13 breweries & distilleries within 25 mi
- 30 mi to the nearest farmers market
Everyday
- Schools in the bottom 1% of Iowa districts (reading)
- Grocery store in town
- 1 mi to the nearest ER hospital
- 31 mi to a 4–5★ hospital
- Vet in town
- Dog park in town
- 6 congregations per 10k people
- 3 mi to the nearest college
Politics
- Polk County: D+11 in 2024
- Iowa: R+13 in 2024
Natural hazards
- Very low hurricane risk
- High tornado risk
- Very low wildfire risk
- Very low earthquake risk
- High flood risk
- Very low drought risk
- Moderate winter storm risk
- Moderate heat wave risk
- Very low volcano risk