Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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2024 Population
731,120
US Senator
Chuck Grassley
Republican Party
US Senator
Joni Ernst
Republican Party
2024 Median Age
36.8
0.272% 1-year increase
2024 Poverty Rate
9.14%
2.56% 1-year increase
2024 Median Household Income
$85,890
2% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$267,400
5.94% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
388,624
1.73% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Des Moines-West Des Moines, 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.

95.3% of the residents in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA are Des Moines Area Community College (4,718 degrees awarded in 2023), Drake University (1,539 degrees), and Grand View University (530 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA was $267,400, and the homeownership rate was 69.5%.

Most people in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 21 minutes. The average car ownership in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA was 2 cars per household.

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA borders Ames, IA, Boone, IA, Carroll, IA, Newton, IA, and Pella, IA.

About the photo: Des Moines skyline shot from East Fort Des Moines
Photo by Jason Mrachina
United StatesIowa

Population & Diversity

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA is home to a population of 731k people, from which 95.3% are citizens. As of 2024, 8.5% of Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA residents were born outside of the country (62.2k people).

In 2024, there were 13.8 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (566k people) in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 41k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 30.8k Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

95.3%
2024 Citizenship
95.5%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 95.3% of Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA was 95.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA 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-West Des Moines, IA
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    566k ± 1.23k
  2. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    41k ± 1.29k
  3. Asian (Non-Hispanic)
    30.8k ± 777
8.71%
Hispanic Population
63.7k people

In 2024, there were 13.8 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (566k people) in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 41k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 30.8k Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

8.71% of the people in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA are hispanic (63.7k people).

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

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA level, so we are showing data for Iowa.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    42,808 ± 5,046 people
  2. India
    12,283 ± 2,716 people
  3. China
    7,889 ± 2,178 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Iowa was Mexico, the natal country of 42,808 Iowa residents, followed by India with 12,283 and China with 7,889.

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Foreign-Born Population

8.5%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
62.2k people
8.35%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
60.2k people

As of 2024, 8.5% of Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA residents (62.2k 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-West Des Moines, IA was 8.35%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    8,860 ± 598
  2. Gulf War (2001-)
    8,806 ± 856
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    5,297 ± 724

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.01 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA.

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Economy

The economy of Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA employs 389k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA were Health Care & Social Assistance (50,867 people), Finance & Insurance (49,270 people), and Retail Trade (42,783 people), and the highest paying industries were Management of Companies & Enterprises ($95,214), Utilities ($89,084), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($83,582).

Employment

Occupations

389k
2024 Value
± 5,096
1.73%
1 Year growth
± 1.85%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA grew at a rate of 1.73%, from 382k employees to 389k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, are Management Occupations (45,622 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (40,796 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (36,924 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

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

389k
2024 Value
± 5,096
1.73%
1 Year growth
± 1.85%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA grew at a rate of 1.73%, from 382k employees to 389k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (50,867 people), Finance & Insurance (49,270 people), and Retail Trade (42,783 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, though some of these residents may live in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$61,594
Median earning men ± $683
$46,630
Median earning women ± $810

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($92,196), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($79,880), and Public Administration ($77,480).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($69,196), Public Administration ($66,964), and Wholesale Trade ($54,947).

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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.

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Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments
  1. 1,416
    Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
  2. 1,247
    Other Services (except Public Administration)
  3. 1,235
    Construction

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

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

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Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll
  1. $5.76M
    Finance and Insurance
  2. $2.74M
    Health Care and Social Assistance
  3. $2.09M
    Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

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Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Iowa went to Donald J. Trump with 55.7% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (42.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.789%).

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

Voting results are not available for Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA. Showing the available data for Iowa.
2024 Election Results
  1. Donald J. Trump (55.7%)
    Republican Party
  2. Kamala Harris (42.5%)
    Democratic Party
  3. Robert Kennedy (0.789%)
    Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Iowa went to Donald J. Trump with 55.7% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (42.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.789%).

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

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Senator Elections

US Senators from Iowa

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.
Chuck Grassley
Senator from Iowa3
Assumed office on January 3, 1981
Joni Ernst
Senator from Iowa2
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.

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Education

In 2023, universities in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA awarded 8,463 degrees. The student population of Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 14,988 male students and 20,325 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA are White (6,098 and 72.7%), Hispanic or Latino (718 and 8.56%), Unknown (475 and 5.66%), and Black or African American (473 and 5.64%).

The largest universities in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA by number of degrees awarded are Des Moines Area Community College (4,718 and 55.7%), Drake University (1,539 and 18.2%), and Grand View University (530 and 6.26%).

The most popular majors in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA are Licensed Practical & Vocational Nurse Training (1,216 and 14.4%), Liberal Arts & Sciences (875 and 10.3%), and Registered Nursing (515 and 6.09%).

The median tuition cost in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA for private four year colleges is $32,800.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University
Measure

In 2023 in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 72.7%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 18.2%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 35,313 (42.4% men and 57.6% women).

The line chart  shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

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Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 35,313 students enrolled in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, 42.4% men and 57.6% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 23,780 records, of which 57.8% were women and 42.2% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. General Studies
    115 degrees awarded
  2. Liberal Arts & Sciences
    819 degrees awarded
  3. Registered Nursing
    188 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA was General Studies with 115 degrees awarded.

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

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Universities

Gender
Race
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
  1. Des Moines Area Community College
    4,718 degrees awarded
  2. Drake University
    1,539 degrees awarded
  3. Grand View University
    530 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Des Moines Area Community College with 4,718 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 3,085 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, which is 0.574 times less than the 5,378 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 6,098 degrees mean that there were 8.49 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 718 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

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($32,800) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($720) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,200) 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-West Des Moines, IA was $267,400 in 2024, which is 0.804 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $252,400 to $267,400, a 5.94% increase. The homeownership rate in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA is 69.5%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA have an average commute time of 21 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$267,400
Median Property Value 2024
±$3,201
$204,751
Median Property Taxes
±$2,778

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-West Des Moines, IA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

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Rent vs Own

69.5%
Homeownership
2024
62.7%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 69.5% of the housing units in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 69.5%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA 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.
$85,890
Median Household Income
± $1,070
295k
Number of Households
± 4,518

In 2024, the median household income of the 295k households in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA grew to $85,890 from the previous year's value of $84,209.

The following chart displays the households in Des Moines-West Des Moines, 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.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA is from Iowa.
0.441
2023 Wage GINI in Iowa
0.442
2022 Wage GINI in Iowa

In 2023, the income inequality in Iowa was 0.441 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.304% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Iowa was lower than than the national average of 0.476. 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.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (72.7%)
  2. Worked At Home (16.1%)
  3. Carpooled (7.79%)

In 2024, 72.7% of workers in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (16.1%) and those who carpooled to work (7.79%).

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

21 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA have a shorter commute time (21 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.31% of the workforce in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA 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-West Des Moines, 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-West Des Moines, IA have 2 cars.

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

9.14% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA (65.6k out of 718k 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 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA is White, followed by Black and Hispanic.

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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Health

95.3% of the population of Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA has health coverage, with 57% on employee plans, 15% on Medicaid, 11% on Medicare, 11% on non-group plans, and 1.28% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Iowa see 1,385 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,385 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1411 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 466 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.8% were men and 50.2% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.
1,385 to 1
Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Iowa

Primary care physicians in Iowa see an average of 1,385 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,385 patients).

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

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Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 26.1% under 18 years, 21.7% between 18 and 34 years, 38.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 14.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.8% were men and 50.2% were women.

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

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Uninsured People

4.75%
Uninsured
57%
Employer Coverage
15%
Medicaid
11%
Medicare
11%
Non-Group
1.28%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA grew by 5.31% from 4.51% to 4.75%.

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

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