Population

212,086

US Census estimate, July 2025

Median home value

$194,700

Owner-occupied units

Des Moines, IA

Iowa · 41.573° N, 93.610° W · 88 sq mi

Des Moines is a city in Iowa, with a population of 212,086 and about 2,406 residents per square mile. The median household earns $65,932 a year, and the median home is worth $194,700.

Conditions

Humidity & wind

—

UV index

—

Sunrise & sunset

—

Local time

—

Size & density

Land area

88 sq mi

Water excluded

Population density

2,406

People per square mile

Rank by population

#119

Of cities on this site

Rank by area

#107

Of cities on this site

Money & housing

Median household income

$65,932

US median ≈ $78,538

Median gross rent

$1,090

Per month

Homeownership

60.5%

US ≈ 65%

Average commute

19.5 min

One way

People

Median age

34.6

US median 39.1

Bachelor's degree +

29.7%

Age 25 and over

Foreign born

14.2%

Households

90,105

2.3 people each

What people here do for work

Education & health care 20.2^%

Finance, insurance & real estate 11.4^%

Professional & business services 11.1^%

Retail trade 11^%

Top four industries · share of all workers · ACS 2024

Wealthiest person in Iowa

Name

Harry Stine

Forbes, Apr 2025

Net worth

$10.2B

As of 25 Apr 2025 — not live

Lives in

Adel

Source of wealth

Agriculture

Compiled from public reporting, not from an official dataset, and not independently verified.

Largest employer in Iowa · private sector

Employer

University of Iowa

Sector

Education & health

Compiled from public reporting, not from an official dataset, and not independently verified. Government employers are excluded.

Largest public company in Iowa

Company

Principal Financial Group

Revenue

$16.1B

Fiscal year 2024

Headquarters

Des Moines

Ticker

PFG

Compiled from public reporting, not from an official dataset, and not independently verified.

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State of Iowa

State bird

Eastern Goldfinch

State flower

Wild Prairie Rose

State capital

Des Moines

Nickname

The Hawkeye State

Compare Des Moines with

Des Moines vs YonkersSide by side
Des Moines vs West Des MoinesSide by side
Des Moines vs AnkenySide by side
Des Moines vs Sioux FallsSide by side
Des Moines vs Cedar RapidsSide by side
Des Moines vs DavenportSide by side

Cities near Des Moines

West Des Moines, IA9 mi · 74,224
Ankeny, IA11 mi · 77,833
Ames, IA31 mi · 68,220
Waterloo, IA91 mi · 66,919
Cedar Rapids, IA103 mi · 137,935
Iowa City, IA108 mi · 76,229
Council Bluffs, IA119 mi · 62,680
Bellevue, NE124 mi · 64,863