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Des Moines, Iowa: crime rate and local statistics
The violent-crime rate in Des Moines was 6.4 per 1,000 residents in 2025, about 2.7 times the statewide rate (2.3). Median household income is $65,932 and the median home value is $194,700. About 212,421 people live in Des Moines. Des Moines is the capital of Iowa.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income by neighborhood · home values · schools
What is the crime rate in Des Moines?
The FBI's 2025 figures put Des Moines at 6.4 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (1,364 in all). That is about 2.7 times the Iowa rate (2.3), and about 2.0 times the national rate (3.3). The department recorded 3 murders. Property crime came to 5,992 offenses (28.1 per 1,000; Iowa: 11.7). Car thefts stand out: 4.4 per 1,000, about 2.2 times the national rate. The yearly count has been fairly flat since 2021 (1,346 then).
| Offense (2025) | Des Moines count | Per 1,000 | Iowa per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 1,364 | 6.4 | 2.3 | 3.3 |
| Murder | 3 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.04 |
| Rape | 100 | 0.47 | 0.36 | 0.36 |
| Robbery | 138 | 0.65 | 0.15 | 0.49 |
| Aggravated assault | 1,123 | 5.3 | 1.8 | 2.4 |
| Property crime | 5,992 | 28.1 | 11.7 | 15.3 |
| Burglary | 823 | 3.9 | 1.7 | 1.9 |
| Larceny-theft | 4,240 | 19.9 | 8.8 | 11.4 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 929 | 4.4 | 1.2 | 2.0 |
How has crime in Des Moines changed since 2021?
| Year | Violent crimes | Property crimes | Murders |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,346 | 6,773 | 2 |
| 2022 | 1,015 | 4,602 | 4 |
| 2023 | 1,495 | 7,048 | 8 |
| 2024 | 1,475 | 6,569 | 9 |
| 2025 | 1,364 | 5,992 | 3 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. City figures are the Des Moines Police Department's own reports.
How does Des Moines compare with Iowa?
Households in Des Moines have a median income of $65,932 (Iowa: $75,059). Owner-occupied homes have a median value of $194,700, and half of renters pay more than $1,090 a month. About 212,421 people live on 88 square miles of land, roughly 2,409 per square mile. The city lies in Polk County and Warren County.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Des Moines | Iowa | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 212,421 | 3,210,507 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $65,932 | $75,059 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $194,700 | $208,000 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,090 | $972 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 5.6% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 15.0% | 11.1% | 12.5% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 29.7% | 31.4% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 60.5% | 71.7% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 34.6 | 38.6 | 38.9 |
What environmental sites and hazards are in Des Moines?
EPA lists 2 active Superfund sites (final or proposed) in Des Moines: Des Moines Tce and Lot 46 Valley Gardens Tce. A listing means EPA is managing a long-term cleanup; it does not by itself mean anyone is exposed today.
Des Moines has 4 dams classed as high hazard in the National Inventory of Dams. None is rated Poor or Unsatisfactory; 3 are rated Satisfactory or Fair. The two tallest are Fort Des Moines Park Dam (49 ft) and Twenty-Sixth Street Stormwater Detention Basin (43 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk for Polk County as “Relatively Moderate”. Of the seven hazards on our map, FEMA rates these highest: tornadoes (Relatively High) and heat waves (Relatively High). The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Is there road construction in Des Moines?
On October 11, 2026 the state transportation feed listed 17 highway work zones in Des Moines city limits (1 active that day). Roads listed: I-80, RAMP: I-80E TO US-65 and RAMP: 2ND AVENUE N TO I-235. 17 are on interstates. The map's construction layer is refreshed every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in or near Des Moines?
Inside the city limits there are 61 public schools (2024-25) and 10 private schools (2023-24). 12 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes are in the city. Within about 15 miles: 6 state parks or recreation areas: Badger Creek State Recreation Area, Banner Lakes At Summerset State Park, Big Creek State Park, Lake Ahquabi State Park and Margo Frankel Woods State Park and 1 more.
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Des Moines
Gun shops
6 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map inside the Des Moines city limits, plus 10 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). 4 of them are pawnshops licensed to sell guns. On the ATF list: Ezpawn (2 in Des Moines), Ingersoll Outdoor Supply LLC (Des Moines), Jt Guns & Supply, LLC (Des Moines), The Pawn Specialist (Des Moines) and The Pawn Store (Des Moines).
Liquor stores
16 liquor stores are on the map inside the Des Moines city limits: Central City Liquors (Des Moines), Eastend Liquor (Des Moines), Easy GO Liquor and Convenience (Des Moines), First Stop Liquor Store (Des Moines), Hy-Vee Wine & Spirits (2 in Des Moines), Ingersoll Wine & Spirits (Des Moines), MLK Liquor & Vape (Des Moines), Oasis (Des Moines) and 7 more. Iowa has no complete public liquor licence list we can use, so this count also draws on OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps and may miss some stores or include closed ones.
Planned Parenthood
One Planned Parenthood health center is on the map inside the Des Moines city limits: Planned Parenthood of the Heartland Susan Knapp Health Center of Des Moines (Des Moines).
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores · Planned Parenthood →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official; partial in some states); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Des Moines?
In 2025, Des Moines had 6.4 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (1,364 reported), about 2.7 times the Iowa rate (2.3). The property-crime rate was 28.1 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Des Moines?
$65,932 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024), compared with $75,059 for Iowa.
How much do homes cost in Des Moines?
The median value of owner-occupied homes is $194,700 (Census ACS 2020-2024), against $208,000 statewide.
What natural hazards affect Des Moines?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk for Polk County as “Relatively Moderate”. Of the seven hazards on our map, FEMA rates these highest: tornadoes (Relatively High) and heat waves (Relatively High).
Nearby cities
West Des Moines, IA (9 mi) · Ankeny, IA (11 mi) · Ames, IA (31 mi) · Waterloo, IA (91 mi) · Cedar Rapids, IA (103 mi) · Iowa City, IA (108 mi)
More: Iowa statewide numbers · county pages: Polk County and Warren County · Sex-offender registry search (NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, agency counts 2021-2025 (Return A); state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables, for the Census place Des Moines city.
- Land area: Census 2024 Gazetteer. Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores (county level).
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026).
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026).
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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