Des Moines, WA

Census Place

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2023 Population

32,545

0.373% 1-year decline

US Senator

Patty Murray

Democratic Party

US Senator

Maria Cantwell

Democratic Party

2023 Median Age

37.5

1.83% 1-year decrease

2023 Poverty Rate

10.7%

9.53% 1-year decrease

2023 Employed Population

15,668

2.13% 1-year growth

About

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Des Moines, WA are White (Non-Hispanic) (45.9%), Other (Hispanic) (12.8%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (12%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (10.8%), and Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (8.37%).

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.

85.5% of the residents in Des Moines, WA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Des Moines, WA are Highline College (1,106 degrees awarded in 2023).

Most people in Des Moines, WA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 30.6 minutes. The average car ownership in Des Moines, WA was 2 cars per household.

United States Washington King County, WA Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA King County (Far Southwest)--Federal Way, Des Moines Cities & Vashon Island PUMA, WA King County (Southwest Central)--Kent City PUMA, WA King County (West Central)--Burien, SeaTac, Tukwila Cities & White Center PUMA, WA

Population & Diversity

Des Moines, WA is home to a population of 32.5k people, from which 85.5% are citizens. As of 2023, 26.5% of Des Moines, WA residents were born outside of the country (8.62k people).

In 2023, there were 3.59 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (14.9k people) in Des Moines, WA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 4.16k Other (Hispanic) and 3.92k Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

85.5%

2023 Citizenship

85.4%

2022 Citizenship

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Des Moines, WA

White (Non-Hispanic)
14.9k ± 1.32k
Other (Hispanic)
4.16k ± 1.15k
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
3.92k ± 756

20.9%

Hispanic Population

6.79k people

20.9% of the people in Des Moines, WA are hispanic (6.79k people).

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

Global Diversity

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

Most Common Origin

Mexico
244,390 ± 11,943 people
India
101,527 ± 7,771 people
China
86,360 ± 7,174 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Washington was Mexico, the natal country of 244,390 Washington residents, followed by India with 101,527 and China with 86,360.

Foreign-Born Population

26.5%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

8.62k people

25.8%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

8.44k people

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
500 ± 117
Gulf War (2001-)
478 ± 159
Korea
253 ± 158

Des Moines, WA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.05 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Des Moines, WA employs 15.7k people. The largest industries in Des Moines, WA are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,835 people), Transportation & Warehousing (1,822 people), and Retail Trade (1,674 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($119,500), Public Administration ($100,046), and Information ($99,306).

Employment

Occupations

15.7k

2023 Value

± 1,134

2.13%

1 Year growth

± 10.1%

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Des Moines, WA, are Management Occupations (1,626 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,350 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (1,075 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Des Moines, WA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Washington (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

15.7k

2023 Value

± 1,134

2.13%

1 Year growth

± 10.1%

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Des Moines, WA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,835 people), Transportation & Warehousing (1,822 people), and Retail Trade (1,674 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.

Median Earnings by Industry

N/A

Median earning men ± N/A

N/A

Median earning women ± N/A

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Information ($145,074), Public Administration ($101,458), and Manufacturing ($91,282).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Manufacturing ($89,549), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($80,031), and Public Administration ($77,500).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

3.62%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 3.58M people employed in Washington. This represents a 3.62% 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 10.3%.

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

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Washington went to Kamala Harris with 57.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (39%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.4%).

Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell are the senators currently representing the state of Washington. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Washington is currently represented by 10 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

Voting results are not available for Des Moines, WA. Showing the available data for Washington.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (57.2%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (39%)
Republican Party
Robert Kennedy (1.4%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Washington went to Kamala Harris with 57.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (39%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.4%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Washington for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Washington

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

Patty Murray

Senator from Washington

Assumed office on January 3, 1993

Maria Cantwell

Senator from Washington

Assumed office on January 3, 2001

Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell are the senators currently representing Washington.

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 Washington over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Washington

Washington is currently represented by 10 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 Washington have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2023, universities in Des Moines, WA awarded 1,106 degrees. The student population of Des Moines, WA in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 1,924 male students and 3,202 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Des Moines, WA are White (297 and 28.8%), followed by Asian (241 and 23.4%), Hispanic or Latino (182 and 17.6%), and Black or African American (165 and 16%).

The largest universities in Des Moines, WA by number of degrees awarded are Highline College (1,106 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Des Moines, WA are Liberal Arts & Sciences (409 and 37%), Early Childhood Education & Teaching (115 and 10.4%), and Medical Assistant (102 and 9.22%).

The median tuition cost in Des Moines, WA for a public four year colleges is $3,633 for in-state students and $3,633 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 5,126 students enrolled in Des Moines, WA, 37.5% men and 62.5% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Hispanic or Latino with 985 records, of which 66.5% were women and 33.5% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Liberal Arts & Sciences
409 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
71 degrees awarded
General Business
46 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Des Moines, WA was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 409 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Highline College

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

1,106 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Highline College with 1,106 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 296 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Des Moines, WA, which is 0.365 times less than the 810 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 297 degrees mean that there were 1.23 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Asian, with 241 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, 4-year or above ($3,633) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($990) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

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.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2022, 0.975% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.954% 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 Washington.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (1.41M), Some college (1.4M), and Bachelors Degree (1.33M).

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

People in Des Moines, WA have an average commute time of 30.6 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

Rent vs Own

N/A%

Homeownership

N/A

63.8%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

The following map shows all of the places in Des Moines, WA colored by their Median Household Income (N/A).

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Household Income

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

N/A

Median Household Income

± N/A

12.1k

Number of Households

± 920

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 $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Des Moines, WA is from Washington.

0.47

2022 Wage GINI in Washington

0.468

2021 Wage GINI in Washington

In 2022, the income inequality in Washington was 0.47 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.285% growth from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Washington was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Washington in comparison to the national average.

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

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (70.1%)
Worked At Home (12.6%)
Carpooled (8.42%)

In 2023, 70.1% of workers in Des Moines, WA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (12.6%) and those who carpooled to work (8.42%).

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

30.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Des Moines, WA have a longer commute time (30.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 1.84% 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.

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.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

10.7% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Des Moines, WA (3.42k out of 32k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Males 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Des Moines, WA is White, followed by Hispanic 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.

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

90% of the population of Des Moines, WA has health coverage, with 43.3% on employee plans, 22.8% on Medicaid, 12.5% on Medicare, 10.1% on non-group plans, and 1.18% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in King County, WA see 833 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.604% increase from the previous year (828 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 881 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 180 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for King County, WA.

833 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in King County, WA

Primary care physicians in King County, WA see an average of 833 patients per year. This represents a 0.604% increase from the previous year (828 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In N/A, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in .

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46% were men and 54% were women.

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

Uninsured People

10%

Uninsured

43.3%

Employer Coverage

22.8%

Medicaid

12.5%

Medicare

10.1%

Non-Group

1.18%

Military or VA

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.

Keep Exploring

King County, WA

County

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA