
With a quality of life rating of 8/10 and an overall value of 6/10, there are many things to love about Des Moines, IA, but there are also a few factors that may not be the best fit for everyone. Most homeowners will be happy in Des Moines, but be sure to visit first to make sure it’s the best place for you.
This rating is a weighted average of commute time, crime rate, population, median salary, and more.
8/10
This score adds annual household income and cost of living to the city rating.
6/10
Compared to New York, Des Moines has a very low population density. Des Moines is perfect for those who like a quiet city.
2,597
Des Moines
27,441
New York
Des Moines, IA is a great place to live. It has its pros and cons like any city, but with a quality of life rating of 8/10 and an overall value of 6/10, it's no surprise why so many people choose to live here.
Population density is a way of determining how crowded an area is. Des Moines has a population density of 2,597, with 196,855 current residents.
Out of the 196,855 current residents, 49% are male and 51% are female. 53% of the residents are married and 47% are single.

As for living in Des Moines, the air quality is 65% and the weather, on average, is 56% sunny, 30% rainy, and 31% snowy. The average temperature is 49°F.
Whether you're looking to buy or rent a home in Des Moines, you should know that 59.8% of homes are owned while 32.5% of homes are rented, and 7.8% of homes are vacant. The median price of a home is 113,060, the median age of homes is 51 years, the annual home appreciation is -2.79% and the annual property tax is 16.13%.

When looking at the community of Des Moines, it's important to determine the crime rate. Des Moines's crime rate is 7 total number of crimes reported per 100,000 total population. The average age of residents in Des Moines is 36 years and the breakdown of political affiliations is 56.43% Democratic, 41.82% Republican, and 1.75% Independent.
Student teacher ratio 1:13
When looking at Des Moines, it's important to understand employment statistics. 7% of residents are unemployed in Des Moines (which does not include the percentage of residents who are no longer in the labor force). Of the employed Des Moines residents: 12.3% work in the management and business field, 16% are in the customer service field, 31.2% are in the sales field, 9.4% of employed residents work in the construction field, and 13.8% work in production. When it comes to education, the ratio of teachers to students is 1:13. The percentage of residents who have graduated high school is 83%, 6% of residents have an associate's degree, 16% of residents have a bachelor's degree, and 6% have a graduate degree.
If you plan on commuting to work in Des Moines, you should be aware that the average commute time is 20 minutes, compared to the national average commute time of 26 minutes. When it comes to commuting, residents of Des Moines have a few different options. 80% of commuters use their own cars, 13% of commuters carpool, 2% of commuters use the transit system, and 2% of residents work from home.
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