City safety & data profile

Des MoinesWA

Des Moines, WA is a 31K-resident city in King County with a median household income of $92,483.

King County, Washington. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Des Moines, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Des Moines has a population larger than 65% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, and a median home value of $597,000.

Data updated 2026-07-20

31K
Population
Top 35%
By size
$92,483
Median income
$597,000
Median home
12.1%
Poverty rate

The read on Des Moines

Des Moines posts a median household income higher than 63% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks.

Top 37%
by median income, US cities

Where Des Moines income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$92,483 Top 37% higher than 63% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). This entry sits in this band. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. WA $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Des Moines, WA beyond the headline numbers

Des Moines sits inside King County, Washington, at roughly 47.40°N, -122.32°W. Population 31,221, $92,483 median household income. Median home value $597,000, median rent $1,799. Poverty rate 12.1%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Des Moines's highest-prevalence health measure is short sleep duration at 32%, then high blood pressure at 31.7%.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Des Moines from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
31,221
Des Moines
Median Income
$92,483
+36% vs avg
Median Home Value
$597,000
+162% vs avg
Median Age
38
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (King County) - Des Moines's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
2.3M+16%
Median Income
$124,746+74%
Median Home Value
$859,900+128%
Poverty Rate
8.6%-25%
Unemployment
4.8%-38%

Economics

Economics indicators for Des Moines, WA
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,799/mo
Poverty Rate
12.1% -15% vs avg
Unemployment 7.5%
Bachelor's Degree+ 33.4%
Work From Home 14.7%
Public Transit 4.6%

Population

White 46.6%
African American 12.8%
Asian 12%
Two or More Ethnicities 8.8%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Short Sleep Duration
32%
High Blood Pressure
31.7%
Obesity
26.6%
Physical Inactivity
18.7%
Frequent Mental Distress
16.7%
Binge Drinking
15.8%
Frequent Physical Distress
12.7%
Current Asthma
10.7%
Lack of Health Insurance
10.6%
Current Smoking
10.1%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 64.6%
Annual Checkup 70.8%

Other Measures

Diabetes
9.5%
Coronary Heart Disease
5.4%
Stroke
3.2%

Frequently Asked Questions 5

What is the population of Des Moines, WA? ▼
Des Moines, WA has a population of 31,221 people, located in King County, Washington.
What is the median household income in Des Moines? ▼
The median household income in Des Moines, WA is $92,483 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 12.1%.
What is the median home value in Des Moines? ▼
The median home value in Des Moines, WA is $597,000. Median rent is $1,799/month.
What are the top health concerns in Des Moines? ▼
The top health indicators in Des Moines include Short Sleep Duration (32%), High Blood Pressure (31.7%), Obesity (26.6%). Data from CDC PLACES.
What is the median age in Des Moines? ▼
The median age in Des Moines, WA is 38 years. 33.4% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Des Moines, WA is located in King County, Washington. With a population of 31K and a $92,483 median household income, the community faces health challenges including short sleep duration and high blood pressure. Safety alerts for the Des Moines area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Washington

Real-time AQI for every monitored Washington location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

SeaTac, WA 28K Burien, WA 50K Federal Way, WA 95K Lakeland North, WA 13K Kent, WA 127K Tukwila, WA 20K White Center, WA 13K Bryn Mawr-Skyway, WA 16K
All cities in Washington → Compare Des Moines vs SeaTac → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Des Moines's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Des Moines area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Des Moines against Washington peers on any ranking lens. Explore Washington

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (King County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.