Des Moines, WA

Census Place

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    2024 Population
    32,823
    2024 Median Age
    38
    1.33% 1-year increase
    2024 Poverty Rate
    12.1%
    13.4% 1-year increase
    2024 Median Household Income
    $92,483
    3% 1-year growth
    2024 Median Property Value
    $597,000
    10.6% 1-year growth
    2024 Employed Population
    15,377
    1.86% 1-year decline

    About

    None of the households in Des Moines, WA 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.

    86.2% of the residents in Des Moines, WA are U.S. citizens.

    The largest universities in Des Moines, WA are Highline College (1,179 degrees awarded in 2024).

    In 2024, the median property value in Des Moines, WA was $597,000, and the homeownership rate was 60.6%.

    Most people in Des Moines, WA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 30.8 minutes. The average car ownership in Des Moines, WA was 2 cars per household.

    United States

    Population & Diversity

    Des Moines, WA is home to a population of 32.8k people, from which 86.2% are citizens. As of 2024, 26% of Des Moines, WA residents were born outside of the country (8.52k people).

    In 2024, there were 3.47 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (14.4k people) in Des Moines, WA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 4.16k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 3.93k Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

    Population & Diversity

    Citizenship

    86.2%
    2024 Citizenship
    85.5%
    2023 Citizenship

    As of 2024, 86.2% of Des Moines, WA residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Des Moines, WA was 85.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

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    Diversity

    Race and Ethnicity

    The 3 largest ethnic groups in Des Moines, WA
    1. White (Non-Hispanic)
      14.4k ± 1.27k
    2. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
      4.16k ± 1.17k
    3. Asian (Non-Hispanic)
      3.93k ± 832
    19.8%
    Hispanic Population
    6.5k people

    In 2024, there were 3.47 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (14.4k people) in Des Moines, WA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 4.16k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 3.93k Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

    19.8% of the people in Des Moines, WA are hispanic (6.5k people).

    The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Des Moines, WA as a share of the total population.

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    Foreign-Born Population

    26%
    2024 Foreign-Born Population
    8.52k people
    26.5%
    2023 Foreign-Born Population
    8.62k people

    As of 2024, 26% of Des Moines, WA residents (8.52k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Des Moines, WA was 26.5%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

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    Military

    Veterans

    Most Common Service Period
    1. Vietnam
      522 ± 121
    2. Gulf War (2001-)
      376 ± 173
    3. Gulf War (1990s)
      232 ± 134

    Des Moines, WA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.39 times greater than any other conflict.

    The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Des Moines, WA.

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    Health

    90.8% of the population of Des Moines, WA has health coverage, with 42.6% on employee plans, 24.2% on Medicaid, 13.3% on Medicare, 9.49% on non-group plans, and 1.16% on military or VA plans.

    By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48% were men and 52% were women.

    Coverage

    Health Care Diversity

    In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.9% under 18 years, 21.8% between 18 and 34 years, 37.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 16.8% over 64 years.

    By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48% were men and 52% were women.

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

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    Uninsured People

    9.2%
    Uninsured
    42.6%
    Employer Coverage
    24.2%
    Medicaid
    13.3%
    Medicare
    9.49%
    Non-Group
    1.16%
    Military or VA

    Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Des Moines, WA declined by 8.06% from 10% to 9.2%.

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

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    Economy

    The economy of Des Moines, WA employs 15.4k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Des Moines, WA were Health Care & Social Assistance (2,046 people), Transportation & Warehousing (1,766 people), and Retail Trade (1,513 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($127,619), Public Administration ($102,917), and Finance & Insurance ($95,886).

    Employment

    Occupations

    15.4k
    2024 Value
    ± 1,143
    −1.86%
    1 Year decline
    ± 10.6%

    From 2023 to 2024, employment in Des Moines, WA declined at a rate of −1.86%, from 15.7k employees to 15.4k employees.

    The most common job groups, by number of people living in Des Moines, WA, are Management Occupations (1,605 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,370 people), and Business & Financial Operations Occupations (1,122 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Des Moines, WA.

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    Industries

    Employment by Industries

    15.4k
    2024 Value
    ± 1,143
    −1.86%
    1 Year decline
    ± 10.6%

    From 2023 to 2024, employment in Des Moines, WA declined at a rate of −1.86%, from 15.7k employees to 15.4k employees.

    The most common employment sectors for those who live in Des Moines, WA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (2,046 people), Transportation & Warehousing (1,766 people), and Retail Trade (1,513 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Des Moines, WA, though some of these residents may live in Des Moines, WA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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    Median Earnings by Industry

    $61,433
    Median earning men ± $4,630
    $52,763
    Median earning women ± $5,123

    The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($104,375), Manufacturing ($84,363), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($83,289).

    The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Manufacturing ($90,737), Public Administration ($80,375), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($72,250).

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    Civics

    In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in the states of United States went to Donald J. Trump with 49.9% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (48.2%), followed by Jill Stein (0.556%).

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

    Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming is currently represented by 432 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

    Presidential Elections

    Voting results are not available for Des Moines, WA. Showing the available data for the states of United States.
    2024 Election Results
    1. Donald J. Trump (49.9%)
      Republican Party
    2. Kamala Harris (48.2%)
      Democratic Party
    3. Jill Stein (0.556%)
      Green Party

    In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in the states of United States went to Donald J. Trump with 49.9% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (48.2%), followed by Jill Stein (0.556%).

    The following chart shows the popular vote results in the states of United States for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

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    Education

    In 2024, universities in Des Moines, WA awarded 1,179 degrees. The student population of Des Moines, WA in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 2,037 male students and 3,555 female students.

    Most students graduating from Universities in Des Moines, WA are White (301 and 27.2%), Hispanic or Latino (245 and 22.1%), Asian (208 and 18.8%), and Black or African American (196 and 17.7%).

    The largest universities in Des Moines, WA by number of degrees awarded are Highline College (1,179 and 100%).

    The most popular majors in Des Moines, WA are Liberal Arts & Sciences (393 and 33.3%), Early Childhood Education & Teaching (164 and 13.9%), and Medical Assistant (109 and 9.25%).

    The median tuition cost for a public four year colleges is $3,742 for in-state students and $3,742 for out-of-state students.

    Admissions & Enrollments

    Enrollments by Gender and Races

    In 2024 there were 5,592 students enrolled in Des Moines, WA, 36.4% men and 63.6% women.

    By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Hispanic or Latino with 1,143 records, of which 70.6% were women and 29.4% men.

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    Completions

    Concentrations

    Most Common
    1. Liberal Arts & Sciences
      393 degrees awarded
    2. Registered Nursing
      65 degrees awarded
    3. General Business
      54 degrees awarded

    In 2024, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Des Moines, WA was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 393 degrees awarded.

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

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    Universities

    Gender
    Race
    Highline College
    Largest Universities by degrees awarded
    1,179 degrees awarded

    In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Highline College with 1,179 degrees awarded.

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    Student Diversity

    In 2024, 345 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Des Moines, WA, which is 0.414 times less than the 834 female students who received degrees in the same year.

    In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 301 degrees mean that there were 1.23 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 245 degrees awarded.

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    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.

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    Tuition

    Average Net Price by Sector

    Public, 4-year or above ($3,742) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

    Public, 4-year or above ($1,030) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

    Public, 4-year or above ($702) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

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    Housing & Living

    The median property value in Des Moines, WA was $597,000 in 2024, which is 1.79 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $539,800 to $597,000, a 10.6% increase. The homeownership rate in Des Moines, WA is 60.6%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

    People in Des Moines, WA have an average commute time of 30.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Des Moines, WA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

    Housing

    Property

    $597,000
    Median Property Value 2024
    ±$17,334
    $7,232
    Median Property Taxes
    ±$541

    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, WA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

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    Rent vs Own

    60.6%
    Homeownership
    2024
    64.9%
    Homeowners with Mortgage
    2024

    In 2024, 60.6% of the housing units in Des Moines, WA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 60.8%.

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

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    Equity

    Household Income

    Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
    $92,483
    Median Household Income
    ± $8,944
    11.9k
    Number of Households
    ± 916

    In 2024, the median household income of the 11.9k households in Des Moines, WA grew to $92,483 from the previous year's value of $89,787.

    The following chart displays the households in Des Moines, WA 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 $200k+ range.

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    Transportation

    Commuter Transportation

    Most Common Commute in 2024
    1. Drove Alone (68.3%)
    2. Worked At Home (14.7%)
    3. Carpooled (9.51%)

    In 2024, 68.3% of workers in Des Moines, WA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (14.7%) and those who carpooled to work (9.51%).

    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.

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    Commute Time

    30.8 minutes
    Average Travel Time

    Using averages, employees in Des Moines, WA have a longer commute time (30.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.34% of the workforce in Des Moines, WA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

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    Car Ownership

    2 cars
    Average Number

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

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    Poverty

    Poverty & Diversity

    12.1% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Des Moines, WA (3.9k out of 32.2k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Females 35 - 44.

    The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Des Moines, WA 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.

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