Map the Block › Places › Iowa › West Des Moines
West Des Moines, Iowa by the numbers
According to the FBI, West Des Moines had 1.5 reported violent crimes per 1,000 residents in 2025, 38% lower than the Iowa rate (2.3). The median household income is $86,594 and the median home value is $309,000. Population: about 71,083 (Census, 2020-2024).
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 West Des Moines?
In 2025 the West Des Moines Police Department reported 109 violent crimes to the FBI, which works out to 1.5 per 1,000 people. For comparison, that is 38% lower than the Iowa rate (2.3) and 56% lower than the national rate (3.3). There were also 1,140 property crimes, a rate of 15.2 per 1,000. Violent crimes rose 11% between 2021 and 2025 (98 to 109).
| Offense (2025) | West Des Moines count | Per 1,000 | Iowa per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 109 | 1.5 | 2.3 | 3.3 |
| Murder | 0 | 0.00 | 0.02 | 0.04 |
| Rape | 15 | 0.20 | 0.36 | 0.36 |
| Robbery | 5 | 0.07 | 0.15 | 0.49 |
| Aggravated assault | 89 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 2.4 |
| Property crime | 1,140 | 15.2 | 11.7 | 15.3 |
| Burglary | 98 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 1.9 |
| Larceny-theft | 958 | 12.8 | 8.8 | 11.4 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 84 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 2.0 |
How has crime in West Des Moines changed since 2021?
| Year | Violent crimes | Property crimes | Murders |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 98 | 1,124 | 0 |
| 2022 | 178 | 1,221 | 2 |
| 2023 | 125 | 1,583 | 0 |
| 2024 | 123 | 1,269 | 0 |
| 2025 | 109 | 1,140 | 0 |
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 West Des Moines Police Department's own reports.
How does West Des Moines compare with Iowa?
The median household income in West Des Moines is $86,594, 15% higher than the Iowa median ($75,059). The median owner-occupied home is worth $309,000 by owners' estimates, and half of renters pay more than $1,237 a month. About 71,083 people live on 47 square miles of land, roughly 1,497 per square mile. The city lies in Polk County and Dallas County.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | West Des Moines | Iowa | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 71,083 | 3,210,507 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $86,594 | $75,059 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $309,000 | $208,000 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,237 | $972 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 2.4% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 8.4% | 11.1% | 12.5% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 54.9% | 31.4% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 57.4% | 71.7% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 36.0 | 38.6 | 38.9 |
What environmental sites and hazards are in West Des Moines?
1 Superfund site is on or proposed for EPA's National Priorities List in West Des Moines: Railroad Avenue Groundwater Contamination. A listing means EPA is managing a long-term cleanup; it does not by itself mean anyone is exposed today.
West Des Moines has 2 dams classed as high hazard in the National Inventory of Dams. None is rated Poor or Unsatisfactory; 2 are rated Satisfactory or Fair. The two tallest are West Lakes Office Park Dam (41 ft) and Glen Oaks Country Club Dam (36 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”. Among the hazards we show, the highest-rated are 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 West Des Moines?
West Des Moines city limits had 55 highway work zones in the October 11, 2026 feed from the state DOT (11 active that day). Where crews are working: I-80, I-35 and I-235. 45 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 West Des Moines?
Inside the city limits there are 14 public schools (2024-25) and 5 private schools (2023-24). 5 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 West Des Moines
Gun shops
2 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map inside the West Des Moines city limits (1 from the ATF licensee list, 1 from OpenStreetMap), plus 2 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). On the ATF list: Scheels All Sports INC (West Des Moines).
Liquor stores
11 liquor stores are on the map inside the West Des Moines city limits: Allcool Liquors (West Des Moines), Blind Pig Cocktail Bodega (West Des Moines), Easy GO! Liquor and Convenience (West Des Moines), Hy-Vee Wine & Spirits, Hy-Vee Wine & Spirits (2 in West Des Moines), Ingersoll Wine Merchants (West Des Moines), University Liquors (West Des Moines), Wall To Wall Wine And Spirits (West Des Moines) and 2 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
There is no Planned Parenthood health center inside the West Des Moines city limits on the map.
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores →
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 West Des Moines?
In 2025, West Des Moines had 1.5 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (109 reported), 38% lower than the Iowa rate (2.3). The property-crime rate was 15.2 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in West Des Moines?
$86,594 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024), compared with $75,059 for Iowa.
How much do homes cost in West Des Moines?
The median value of owner-occupied homes is $309,000 (Census ACS 2020-2024), against $208,000 statewide.
What natural hazards affect West Des Moines?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk for Polk County as “Relatively Moderate”. Among the hazards we show, the highest-rated are tornadoes (Relatively High) and heat waves (Relatively High).
Nearby cities
Des Moines, IA (9 mi) · Ankeny, IA (16 mi) · Ames, IA (34 mi) · Waterloo, IA (98 mi) · Council Bluffs, IA (110 mi) · Cedar Rapids, IA (112 mi)
More: Iowa statewide numbers · county pages: Polk County and Dallas 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 West 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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