Des Moines vs Iowa City
Des Moines, IA compared with Iowa City, IA · 108 miles apart
Des Moines has 212,086 residents to Iowa City’s 76,229. Des Moines comes out ahead on median household income, median rent, homeownership. Iowa City does better on average commute, bachelor's degree +, unemployment.
| Des Moines, IA | Iowa City, IA | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 212,086 | 76,229 |
| Density (per sq mi) | 2,406 | 2,959 |
| Median household income | $65,932 | $58,546 |
| Median home value | $194,700 | $285,900 |
| Median rent | $1,090 | $1,094 |
| Homeownership | 60.5% | 47.2% |
| Average commute | 19.5 min | 17.3 min |
| Median age | 34.6 | 26.2 |
| Bachelor's degree + | 29.7% | 60.5% |
| Poverty rate | 15% | 26.3% |
| Unemployment | 5.6% | 4.6% |
| Price to income | 3× | 4.9× |
Highlighted where one city is clearly better on that measure. Population, density, home value and median age carry no highlight — a higher number there is good or bad depending on what you want.
Full profiles
- Des Moines, IAClimate, crime, housing
- Iowa City, IAClimate, crime, housing