Des Moines County, IA

County

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2022 Population

38,824

0.627% 1-year decline

US Senator

Chuck Grassley

Republican Party

US Senator

Joni Ernst

Republican Party

2022 Median Age

42.1

1.41% 1-year decrease

2022 Poverty Rate

14.6%

4.79% 1-year increase

2022 Median Household Income

$58,084

6.93% 1-year growth

2022 Median Property Value

$135,300

12.9% 1-year growth

2022 Employed Population

18,599

1.21% 1-year decline

About

In 2022, Des Moines County, IA had a population of 38.8k people with a median age of 42.1 and a median household income of $58,084. Between 2021 and 2022 the population of Des Moines County, IA declined from 39,069 to 38,824, a −0.627% decrease and its median household income grew from $54,318 to $58,084, a 6.93% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Des Moines County, IA are White (Non-Hispanic) (85.1%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (5.22%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (4.62%), White (Hispanic) (2.31%), and Asian (Non-Hispanic) (1.15%).

None of the households in Des Moines County, IA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

98.6% of the residents in Des Moines County, IA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Des Moines County, IA are Southeastern Community College (767 degrees awarded in 2022).

In 2022, the median property value in Des Moines County, IA was $135,300, and the homeownership rate was 69.9%.

Most people in Des Moines County, IA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 16.7 minutes. The average car ownership in Des Moines County, IA was 2 cars per household.

Des Moines County, IA borders Henderson County, IL, Mercer County, IL, Henry County, IA, Lee County, IA, and Louisa County, IA.

About the photo: View of downtown Burlington, IA

Photo by David Wilson

United States Iowa Burlington, IA-IL

Population & Diversity

Des Moines County, IA is home to a population of 38.8k people, from which 98.6% are citizens. As of 2022, 2.2% of Des Moines County, IA residents were born outside of the country (854 people).

In 2022, there were 16.3 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (33k people) in Des Moines County, IA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 2.03k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 1.79k Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.6%

2022 Citizenship

98.7%

2021 Citizenship

As of 2022, 98.6% of Des Moines County, IA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.5%. In 2021, the percentage of US citizens in Des Moines County, IA was 98.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Des Moines County, IA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Des Moines County, IA

White (Non-Hispanic)
33k ± 208
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
2.03k ± 243
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
1.79k ± 325

3.77%

Hispanic Population

1.46k people

3.77% of the people in Des Moines County, IA are hispanic (1.46k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Des Moines County, IA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Iowa.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
42,604 ± 5,034 people
India
12,351 ± 2,723 people
Vietnam
7,795 ± 2,165 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Iowa was Mexico, the natal country of 42,604 Iowa residents, followed by India with 12,351 and Vietnam with 7,795.

Foreign-Born Population

2.2%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

854 people

1.97%

2021 Foreign-Born Population

770 people

As of 2022, 2.2% of Des Moines County, IA residents (854 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.6%. In 2021, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Des Moines County, IA was 1.97%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Des Moines County, IA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,258 ± 205
Gulf War (2001-)
353 ± 110
Gulf War (1990s)
343 ± 96

Des Moines County, IA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 3.56 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Des Moines County, IA employs 18.6k people. The largest industries in Des Moines County, IA are Manufacturing (3,818 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (2,775 people), and Retail Trade (2,440 people), and the highest paying industries are Public Administration ($67,862), Utilities ($67,344), and Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($65,500).

Males in Iowa have an average income that is 1.34 times higher than the average income of females, which is $54,745. The income inequality in Iowa (measured using the Gini index) is 0.442, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

18.6k

2022 Value

± 937

−1.21%

1 Year decline

± 7.09%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Des Moines County, IA declined at a rate of −1.21%, from 18.8k employees to 18.6k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Des Moines County, IA, are Production Occupations (2,361 people), Sales & Related Occupations (2,006 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,856 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Des Moines County, IA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Iowa (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

18.6k

2022 Value

± 937

−1.21%

1 Year decline

± 7.09%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Des Moines County, IA declined at a rate of −1.21%, from 18.8k employees to 18.6k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Des Moines County, IA, are Manufacturing (3,818 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (2,775 people), and Retail Trade (2,440 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Des Moines County, IA, though some of these residents may live in Des Moines County, IA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$48,088

Median earning men ± $3,804

$32,903

Median earning women ± $1,405

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2022 are Information ($78,750), Public Administration ($73,636), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($73,443).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2022 are Public Administration ($54,286), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($42,271), and Construction ($40,313).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.

Y-Axis

1.48%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 1.57M people employed in Iowa. This represents a 1.48% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.9%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Iowa.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

462
Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance
271
Finance & Insurance, and Real Estate, Rental & Leasing
259
Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Des Moines County, IA went to Donald J. Trump with 53.3% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (44.6%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.38%).

Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst are the senators currently representing the state of Iowa. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Iowa is currently represented by 4 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

2020 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (53.3%)
Republican Party
Joseph R Biden Jr. (44.6%)
Democratic Party
Jo Jorgensen (1.38%)
Libertarian Party

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Des Moines County, IA for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Iowa

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.

Chuck Grassley

Senator from Iowa

Assumed office on January 3, 1981

Joni Ernst

Senator from Iowa

Assumed office on January 3, 2015

Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst are the senators currently representing Iowa.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Iowa over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Iowa

Iowa is currently represented by 4 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Iowa have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2022, universities in Des Moines County, IA awarded 767 degrees. The student population of Des Moines County, IA in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 1,030 male students and 1,446 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Des Moines County, IA are Unknown (381 and 50.3%), followed by White (238 and 31.4%), Black or African American (67 and 8.85%), and Hispanic or Latino (32 and 4.23%).

The largest universities in Des Moines County, IA by number of degrees awarded are Southeastern Community College (767 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Des Moines County, IA are Liberal Arts & Sciences (217 and 28.3%), Nursing Assistant & Patient Care Assistant (92 and 12%), and Welding Technology (71 and 9.26%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2022 there were 2,476 students enrolled in Des Moines County, IA, 41.6% men and 58.4% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 1,270 records, of which 59.6% were women and 40.4% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Liberal Arts & Sciences
217 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
50 degrees awarded
Welding Technology
16 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Des Moines County, IA was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 217 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Des Moines County, IA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Southeastern Community College

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

767 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Southeastern Community College with 767 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2022, 280 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Des Moines County, IA, which is 0.575 times less than the 487 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Unknown students. These 381 degrees mean that there were 1.6 times more degrees awarded to Unknown students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 238 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 2-year ($6,000) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Public, 2-year ($210) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Public, 2-year ($1,298) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.

Measure

In 2022, 0.66% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.685% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (751k), Some college (564k), and Bachelors Degree (469k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Des Moines County, IA was $135,300 in 2022, which is 0.48 times smaller than the national average of $281,900. Between 2021 and 2022 the median property value increased from $119,800 to $135,300, a 12.9% increase. The homeownership rate in Des Moines County, IA is 69.9%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.8%.

People in Des Moines County, IA have an average commute time of 16.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Des Moines County, IA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Des Moines County, IA is $58,084. In 2022, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Des Moines County, IA was Census Tract 12 with a value of $90,597, followed by Census Tract 11 and Census Tract 10, with respective values of $75,737 and $75,231.

In 2023, 12.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Des Moines County, IA. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 1.43%.

Housing

Property

$135,300

Median Property Value 2022

±$7,521

$12,067

Median Property Taxes

±$667

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Des Moines County, IA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Des Moines County, IA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

69.9%

Homeownership

2022

59%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2022

In 2022, 69.9% of the housing units in Des Moines County, IA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 69.7%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Des Moines County, IA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 12
Census Tract 11
Census Tract 10

In 2022, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Des Moines County, IA was Census Tract 12 with a value of $90,597, followed by Census Tract 11 and Census Tract 10, with respective values of $75,737 and $75,231.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Des Moines County, IA colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$58,084

Median Household Income

± $3,015

17.3k

Number of Households

± 879

In 2022, the median household income of the 17.3k households in Des Moines County, IA grew to $58,084 from the previous year's value of $54,318.

The following chart displays the households in Des Moines County, IA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Des Moines County, IA is from Iowa.

0.442

2022 Wage GINI in Iowa

0.439

2021 Wage GINI in Iowa

In 2022, the income inequality in Iowa was 0.442 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.723% growth from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Iowa was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Iowa in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Iowa across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2022

Drove Alone (82.6%)
Carpooled (8.58%)
Worked At Home (3.97%)

In 2022, 82.6% of workers in Des Moines County, IA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (8.58%) and those who worked at home (3.97%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

16.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Des Moines County, IA have a shorter commute time (16.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.7 minutes). Additionally, 1.53% of the workforce in Des Moines County, IA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Des Moines County, IA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Des Moines County, IA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Des Moines County, IA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 12.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Des Moines County, IA. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 1.43%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

14.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Des Moines County, IA (5.56k out of 38k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Males 25 - 34 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Des Moines County, IA is White, followed by Black and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2023, 18.5% of the children was living in poverty in Des Moines County, IA. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 9%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

96.5% of the population of Des Moines County, IA has health coverage, with 45.4% on employee plans, 22.3% on Medicaid, 15.1% on Medicare, 12.5% on non-group plans, and 1.2% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Des Moines County, IA see 1548 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.706% decrease from the previous year (1559 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1480 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 432 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.9% were men and 51.1% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,548 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Des Moines County, IA

Primary care physicians in Des Moines County, IA see an average of 1,548 patients per year. This represents a 0.706% decrease from the previous year (1,559 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Des Moines County, IA in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2022, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.9% under 18 years, 17.8% between 18 and 34 years, 38% between 35 and 64 years, and 20.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.9% were men and 51.1% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

3.5%

Uninsured

45.4%

Employer Coverage

22.3%

Medicaid

15.1%

Medicare

12.5%

Non-Group

1.2%

Military or VA

Between 2021 and 2022, the percent of uninsured citizens in Des Moines County, IA declined by 11.6% from 3.96% to 3.5%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Des Moines County, IA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2023, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 42.6 in Des Moines County, IA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Des Moines County, IA.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2023, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 35.8% in Des Moines County, IA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Des Moines County, IA.