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Living in Des Moines

There were 14,276 physicians per 100,000 residents in 2026. Des Moines is in the United States; its population was 32,823 in July 2026. 69.4% of renter households spent at least 30% of income on housing in July 2026.

More recorded crime than 84% of American cities that publish it and cleaner air than 88% of American cities that publish it.

Which United States-wide rules apply when you move to Des Moines?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in United StatesNational rates and thresholds that apply in Des Moines.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

Median gross rent was US$1,799 per month, while the median home value was US$597,000 in July 2026. Owner occupation was 60.7%, and the vacancy rate was 4.81% in July 2026.

City-level rent is published below; no city-level cost-of-living basket is published for Des Moines yet.

MetricValuePeriodSource
G02 Median Gross Rent Usd$1,799/month4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
Households spending over 30% of income on rent69.4 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
G02 Vacancy Rate Pct4.81 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
Property crime per 100,000 residents3,079 per 100,000 people1 Jul 2026FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics9Official
Median monthly rent1,581 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables24Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Safety City Property Crime Count740 offenses/year31 Dec 2025FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)10Official

Worked out from these numbers

How international is the population?

25.9% of residents hold a foreign nationality — 8,544 people of 33,032 people. This counts nationality, not place of birth, so long-settled residents who naturalised are not in it.

Uses a supplemental estimate, so treat it as indicative.

Work and income

Median household income was US$92,483 a year in July 2026.

Unemployment across cities in United StatesUnemployment in Des Moines is 7.5%. Of 2,065 cities with data, 1,200 have unemployment of 0 to under 5%.
unemployment rate, % · measured cities in United States per band1200 cities: 0% to under 5%12000–5742 cities: 5% to under 10%7425–10Des Moines 7.5%95 cities: 10% to under 15%9510–1525 cities: 15% to under 20%2515–202 cities: 20% to under 25%220–251 city: 25% to under 30%125–30

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
G03 Median Household Income Usd92,483 USD/year4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Broadband Cable Fiber Dsl Pct75.56 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Broadband Subscription Pct93.41 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Internet Without Subscription Pct2.55 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 No Internet Pct3.96 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Satellite Internet Pct3.53 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
Median gross salary3,777 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS)23Community estimate · Supplemental context
Median gross salary (regional)5,133 EUR/month31 Dec 2025www.bls.gov22Official
Unemployment rate7.47 %31 Dec 2024Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables24Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Des Moines. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

American Job Centers — Public employment service

U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration

Job Search
Open official service
Open the United States service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Des Moines. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Family and education

MetricValuePeriodSource
G07 High School Or Higher Share Pct89.47 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
Schools88 schools30 Jun 2026NCES CCD public school count13Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · school district
G07 School Enrollment Share Pct22.88 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official

Healthcare

MetricValuePeriodSource
G06 Mental Health Provider Ratio522 ratio30 Jun 2026HRSA mental health provider ratio12Official
Physicians per 100,000 residents14,276 per 100,000 people30 Jun 2026HRSA mental health provider ratio12Official
G06 Preventable Hospitalization Rate1,706 per 100,000 people30 Jun 2026HRSA mental health provider ratio12Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Des Moines when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Safety

Recorded crime across major citiesDes Moines highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Des Moines highlighted5,457Philadelphia5,442Houston5,218San Antonio4,012Chicago4,010Dallas3,829Des Moines3,709Austin3,158Fort Worth3,125Phoenix3,039New York2,212Los Angeles2,082San Diegorecorded incidents per 100k residents
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents3,146 offences per 100,000country median 1,58931 Dec 2024FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting11Official
Violent crime per 100,000 residents262.9 per 100,000 people1 Jul 2026FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics9Official
Safety City Violent Crime Count77 offenses/year31 Dec 2025FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)10Official

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
G05 Commute30.82 minutes4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Bicycle Commute Share Pct0.21 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Transit Commute Share Pct4.58 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Walk Commute Share Pct2.34 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
Destinations from nearest airport90 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights15Official
Nearest airportSEA3 Aug 2026OurAirports16Official
Distance to nearest airport5 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports16Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Des Moines. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

Adult Education and English Language Acquisition (AEFLA) — State Language Course

U.S. Department of Education

For adult learners, adult English-language learners.

EnglishIn Person, Online, Hybridvaries
Open official information

USCIS English and citizenship class finder — Civic Orientation

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

For immigrants, future citizens.

EnglishIn Person, Onlinevaries
Open official information
Open the full United States section
National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Des Moines.

Climate and air quality

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Des Moines average monthly daytime high and night-time low temperature, °C0°10°20°30°JFMAMJJASOND25°3°Daytime highNight-time low
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Des Moines average monthly precipitation, mm045901351801479610681483715254199160145JFMAMJJASONDmm
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Des Moines annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit5255.2PM2.5µg/m³

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in United StatesAnnual PM2.5 in Des Moines is 5.2 µg/m³. Of 968 cities with data, 262 have annual PM2.5 of 6 to under 7 µg/m³.
annual PM2.5, µg/m³ · measured cities in United States per band1 city: 1 µg/m³ to under 2 µg/m³11–22 cities: 2 µg/m³ to under 3 µg/m³22–331 cities: 3 µg/m³ to under 4 µg/m³313–451 cities: 4 µg/m³ to under 5 µg/m³514–5135 cities: 5 µg/m³ to under 6 µg/m³1355–6Des Moines 5.2262 cities: 6 µg/m³ to under 7 µg/m³2626–7252 cities: 7 µg/m³ to under 8 µg/m³2527–8124 cities: 8 µg/m³ to under 9 µg/m³1248–958 cities: 9 µg/m³ to under 10 µg/m³589–1033 cities: 10 µg/m³ to under 11 µg/m³3310–114 cities: 11 µg/m³ to under 12 µg/m³411–124 cities: 12 µg/m³ to under 13 µg/m³412–135 cities: 13 µg/m³ to under 14 µg/m³513–143 cities: 14 µg/m³ to under 15 µg/m³314–153 cities: 15 µg/m³ to under 16 µg/m³315–16

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean5.21 µg/m³country median 7.031 Dec 2024EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 20248Official
Average daytime high by monthJan 8.9 · Feb 10.2 · Mar 12.4 · Apr 15.1 · May 19.1 · Jun 21.7 · Jul 25.2 · Aug 25.3 · Sep 22 · Oct 15.8 · Nov 11.2 · Dec 8.3 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI18Official
Average night-time low by monthJan 3.2 · Feb 3.2 · Mar 4.4 · Apr 6.3 · May 9.3 · Jun 11.7 · Jul 13.8 · Aug 14 · Sep 12 · Oct 8.4 · Nov 4.9 · Dec 2.8 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI19Official
Average temperature by monthJan 6 · Feb 6.7 · Mar 8.4 · Apr 10.7 · May 14.2 · Jun 16.7 · Jul 19.5 · Aug 19.7 · Sep 17 · Oct 12.1 · Nov 8 · Dec 5.6 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI20Official
Average precipitation by monthJan 146.7 · Feb 95.6 · Mar 105.8 · Apr 80.9 · May 47.7 · Jun 36.8 · Jul 15.1 · Aug 24.7 · Sep 41 · Oct 99.4 · Nov 160.4 · Dec 145.2 mm31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI21Official
G04 Air Quality Pm25 Max Ug M353.7 µg/m³1 Jul 2026EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean7Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county
G04 Air Quality Pm25 Mean Annual Ug M36.75 µg/m³1 Jul 2026EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean7Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county
G04 Air Quality Pm25 Monitor Count8 monitors1 Jul 2026EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean7Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county
G11 Annual Precipitation Mm739.5 mm30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals14Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation
G11 Max Temp C Jul20.44 °C30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals14Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation
Average annual temperature12.28 °C30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals14Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation
G11 Min Temp C Jan6.42 °C30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals14Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation

Cities of a similar size in United States

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All United States cities
Miami Lakes33,067 residentsPasadena32,979 residentsPueblo West33,086 residentsSan Dimas32,978 residentsSavage32,970 residentsManhattan Beach33,122 residents

Population and city profile

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
Des Moines residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport74.1%Foreign residents25.9%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Foreign-resident share13.76 %31 Dec 2020Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)5Official
Foreign residents8,544 people31 Dec 2024Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables24Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Population density1,989 people/km²31 Dec 2025Census Reporter / U.S. Census Bureau6Official
Population33,032 people31 Dec 2025U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program17Official
Safety City Crime Covered Population33,288 people31 Dec 2025FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)10Official

Is Des Moines a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker62%strong on work, weak on safety · range 52–72%
Skilled employee69%strong on work, weak on safety · range 59–79%
Student56%strong on education, weak on work · range 45–67%
Family48%strong on family, weak on cost · range 38–58%
Retirement53%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 42–64%
Foreign residents8,544 people31 Dec 2024Independent source · Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables
Population33,032 people31 Dec 2025Official source · U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program
Households spending over 30% of income on rent69.4 %4 Jul 2026Official source · ACS median gross rent
Median monthly rent1,581 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Independent source · Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables
Property crime per 100,000 residents3,079 per 100,000 people1 Jul 2026Official source · FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics
Median gross salary3,777 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Community source · Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS)
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-09-11

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
G02 Median Home Value Usd597,000 USD4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
Owner-occupied homes60.65 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
G03 Labour63.58 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
Residents born abroad26.03 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G05 Naturalized Citizen Share Pct12.27 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G05 Non Citizen Share Pct13.76 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G06 Flu Vaccination Coverage Pct67.24 %30 Jun 2026CDC BRFSS flu vaccination coverage3Official
G06 Mammography Screening Pct73.9 %30 Jun 2026CDC mammography screening rate4Official
G06 Uninsured Share Pct9.2 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
G07 Bachelors Or Higher Share Pct33.44 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
G08 Reporting Agency Count1 agencies1 Jul 2026FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics9Official
G09 Households With Vehicle Available Pct92.61 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
G09 Ntd Agency Count0 agencies4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Total Workers 16plus14,987 workers4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Work From Home Share Pct14.75 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Cellular Data Plan Pct89.31 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

What is the typical salary around Des Moines?

The median gross salary is 5,133 EUR/month. Source: www.bls.gov.

What is the unemployment rate in Des Moines?

The unemployment rate is 7.47 %. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables.

Is the air quality good in Des Moines?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 5.21 µg/m³. The WHO 2021 guideline is 5 µg/m³ and the EU limit value is 25 µg/m³, so this reading is above the WHO guideline but within the EU limit. Source: EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 2024.

How safe is Des Moines?

Police recorded 3,146 offences per 100,000. This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting.

How many people live in Des Moines?

The published population is 33,032 people. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program.

How many foreign residents live in Des Moines?

8,544 people residents hold a foreign nationality. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables.

Is Des Moines a good place to live?

Des Moines may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 12). Des Moines (53), United States: rent, salary [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/des-moines-wa/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_des-moines-53-united-states-rent-salary_b19fc8eed23d,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Des Moines (53), United States: rent, salary},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-12},
  version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/des-moines-wa/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Des Moines (53), United States: rent, salary](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/des-moines-wa/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; retrieved 2026-09-12; built 2026-09-12.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. ACS median gross rent api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-04
  2. ACS total population api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-04
  3. CDC BRFSS flu vaccination coverage data.cdc.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  4. CDC mammography screening rate data.cdc.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  5. Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-08-03
  6. Census Reporter / U.S. Census Bureau api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-08-03
  7. EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-07-01
  8. EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 2024 aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-07-26
  9. FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-07-01
  10. FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip) cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-09-05
Show 14 more sources
  1. FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-08-04
  2. HRSA mental health provider ratio data.hrsa.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  3. NCES CCD public school count nces.ed.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  4. NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  5. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  6. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  7. U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program www2.census.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  8. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  9. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  10. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  11. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  12. www.bls.gov bls.gov · checked 2026-08-27
  13. Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-09-11
  14. Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-26

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.