Moving to Des Moines
King County loses about 7.9 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.
Where people come from and where they go, top counties
Within Washington, other states or abroad
Income per tax return
People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of King County; flows under 20 returns are not published.
- Who moves here
- 5.7% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.5% from another state.
- Who arrives and who leaves
- Households moving into King County report $103,000 a year in income on average; those leaving, $133,000, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
- Income you would need
- $72,000 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
- Rent or buy
- Median rent is $1,799 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,499 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $597,000.
- Getting to work
- 31 minutes each way on average; 14.8% work from home; 4.6% take transit.
- If it is close but not quite
- Brentwood, NY matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
All 5 moving measures
| Measure | Des Moines | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moved here in the past year1 | 5.7% | 1% below | |
| Moved from another state1 | 1.5% | 24% below | |
| Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure | -7.9 | below (median -0.6) | |
| Income of households moving in7County figure | $102,956 | 46% above | |
| Income of households moving out7County figure | $132,967 | 89% above |
What it costs to live here
The median home costs 6.5 years of the median household's income, more than in 87% of the 987 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.
Could you afford it?
Uses the median rent in Des Moines, $1,799 a month, and local prices for everything else (102.9 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.
Like Des Moines, but easier on the budget
Places that match Des Moines on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.
| Place | Match | Rent to income | More left a year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brentwood, NY | 82 | 17.9% vs 23.3% | $18,200 | Compare |
| Rolling Meadows, IL | 81 | 19.6% vs 23.3% | $8,900 | Compare |
| Methuen, MA | 81 | 18.5% vs 23.3% | $23,400 | Compare |
| Carol Stream, IL | 81 | 17.9% vs 23.3% | $13,500 | Compare |
Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Des Moines.
All 15 cost and housing measures
| Measure | Des Moines | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent1 | $1,799 | 32% above | |
| Rent to income1 | 23.3% | 14% above | |
| Property tax rate1 | 0.9% | 3% above | |
| Home price to income1 | 6.5x | 70% above | |
| Prices vs US average2Metro figure | 111.1 | 10% above | |
| Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure | $2,549 | 58% above | |
| Property tax paid (median)1 | $5,640 | 73% above | |
| Median home value1 | $597,000 | 87% above | |
| Home prices, 1-year change4County figure | 0.9% | 72% below | |
| Home prices, 5-year change4County figure | 36.5% | 29% below | |
| Homeownership1 | 60.6% | 9% below | |
| Renters paying 30%+1 | 69.4% | 37% above | |
| Owner costs with a mortgage1 | $2,499 | 33% above | |
| Vacant homes1 | 4.8% | 32% below | |
| Median year built1 | 1974 | 0% below |
Work and pay
OpenStreetMap shows 27.4 bus and rail stops per square mile, more than in 95% of the 987 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.
More on work and pay, against the typical place
All 10 work and pay measures
| Measure | Des Moines | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income1 | $92,483 | 15% above | |
| Income per person1 | $43,717 | 9% above | |
| Unemployment1 | 7.5% | 53% above | |
| Average annual pay5County figure | $136,848 | 107% above | |
| Pay growth, 1 year5County figure | 3.5% | 5% below | |
| Jobs5County figure | 1,436,484 | above (median 150,665) | |
| Poverty rate1 | 12.1% | 13% above | |
| Mean commute1 | 31 min | 24% above | |
| Works from home1 | 14.8% | 18% above | |
| Commutes by transit1 | 4.6% | above (median 0.8%) |
Who lives here
Born abroad is 26.0%, 195% above the median place.
More about who lives here, against the typical place
All 9 people measures
| Measure | Des Moines | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population1 | 32,823 | 1391st largest | |
| Population change since 20206 | 0.3% | 70% below | |
| Median age1 | 38.0 | 3% below | |
| Bachelor's or higher1 | 33.4% | 4% above | |
| High school or higher1 | 89.5% | 3% below | |
| Household size1 | 2.7 | 7% above | |
| Born abroad1 | 26.0% | 195% above | |
| No health insurance1 | 9.2% | 44% above | |
| Homes with broadband1 | 93.4% | 1% above |
Life in Des Moines
OpenStreetMap shows 1.2 libraries per 10,000 residents, more than in 84% of the 987 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.
1 site is on the National Register of Historic Places, 9 of them National Historic Landmarks.
- Covenant Beach Bible Camp listed 2006
Out the door, against the typical place
Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
National Park Service sites nearby
- Mount Rainier National Park 46 miles
- Mount Rainier Wilderness 47 miles
- Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve 60 miles
Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)
Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.
All 18 schools and local life measures
| Measure | Des Moines | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public schools13 | 10 | 11% above | |
| Public school students13 | 5,205 | 6% above | |
| Students per teacher13 | 19.4 | 26% above | |
| Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure | 27.9 | 34% above | |
| Shops per 10k8County figure | 25.8 | 15% below | |
| Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure | 5.9 | 44% above | |
| Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure | 25.0 | 24% above | |
| Child care centers per 10k8County figure | 4.3 | 87% above | |
| Parks per 10k9 | 16.1 | 59% above | |
| Playgrounds per 10k9 | 18.3 | 94% above | |
| Grocery stores per 10k9 | 1.8 | 14% below | |
| Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k9 | 20.1 | 80% above | |
| Libraries per 10k9 | 1.2 | 40% above | |
| Named paths and bike trails9 | 9.1 | 355% above | |
| Transit stops per sq mi9 | 27.4 | above (median 0.2) | |
| Nearest National Park Service site10 | 45.9 | 49% above | |
| National Park Service sites within 60 miles10 | 3 | 50% above | |
| National Register listings11 | 1 | 92% below |
Safety, weather and risk
Violent crime per 100k is 231, 21% above the median place.
Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.
All 10 weather and risk measures
| Measure | Des Moines | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| July average high14County figure | 72°F | 17% below | |
| January average low14County figure | 32°F | 26% above | |
| Average temperature14County figure | 48°F | 13% below | |
| Annual precipitation14County figure | 75.4 in | 72% above | |
| Natural hazard risk15County figure | 99.7 | 8% above | |
| Tornado risk15County figure | 73.2 | 10% below | |
| Wildfire risk15County figure | 79.5 | 30% above | |
| Heat wave risk15County figure | 98.2 | 9% above | |
| Median air quality index16County figure | 43 | 0% above | |
| Good air days16County figure | 67.1% | 2% below |
How it is changing
Five-year survey estimates, one point per release. Between the 2019 and 2024 releases, which share no survey years, the median rent went from 22.9% to 23.3% of the median income.
Median gross rent
Median household income
Median home value
Population estimate
Citytistics measures
Measures only Citytistics publishes, built from the figures on this page. Scores of 100 beat every place we track. Formulas
Des Moines in 2030: where the trends point
If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 24% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 23% now.
Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Des Moines does better than 19% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 78%.
| Measure | Latest | 2030 projection | Likely range | Avg. per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,799/mo (2024) | $2,320/mo | $1,900 to $2,820/mo | +4.3% |
| Median household income | $92,483 (2024) | $118,000 | $99,500 to $139,500 | +4.1% |
| Median home value | $597,000 (2024) | $875,000 | $635,000 to $1,206,000 | +6.6% |
| Population | 33,032 (2025) | 33,380 | 32,020 to 34,800 | +0.2% |
The median home would be worth 7.4 years of the median income in 2030, against 6.5 now.
A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.
Places like Des Moines
The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.
| Place | Rent | Income | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon City, OR | $1,708 | $97,829 | Compare |
| Federal Way, WA | $1,797 | $86,909 | Compare |
| Charter Oak, CA | $1,900 | $88,393 | Compare |
| Glenwood Springs, CO | $1,867 | $91,481 | Compare |
Nearby
- Normandy Park, WA3 mi
- SeaTac, WA4 mi
- Lakeland North, WA4 mi
- Kent, WA5 mi
- Federal Way, WA5 mi
- Burien, WA6 mi
Compare Des Moines with
Places built like Des Moines
Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Des Moines performs against places like it.
Common questions
Is Des Moines a good place to live?
It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 20 out of 100, better than 20% of the places we rate and 158th of 190 in Washington. Compared with the 25 places most like it in size, age, education, housing and region (such as Burien, WA, Lynnwood, WA and Rosemont, CA), unemployment here is higher: 7.5% against a typical 5.6%. On cost, space and class size it scores 17 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.
Is Des Moines expensive to live in?
The median rent takes 23.3% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $597,000.
What salary do you need to live in Des Moines?
To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $71,960 a year. Work it out from your current city.
Is Des Moines safe?
There were 231 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.
What places are similar to Des Moines?
On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Oregon City, OR, Federal Way, WA, Charter Oak, CA and Glenwood Springs, CO.
Sources and methods
The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.
- American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
- Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
- Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
- House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
- Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
- Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
- SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
- County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
- OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
- National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
- National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
- Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
- Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
- 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
- National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
- Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files
Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).
What stands out compares Des Moines with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Des Moines itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/des-moines-washington
Citytistics. “Des Moines, Washington.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/des-moines-washington/
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.