Living in Des Moines, IA

Crime in Des Moines runs a bit below the national average. The violent crime index is 78 (100 is the U.S. baseline), with property crime at 99. That puts it in a decent spot — not the safest metro in the country, but meaningfully better than the midpoint. Neighborhood choice still matters, especially if you have kids or walk home late. FBI Uniform Crime Report data.

By most measures, yes. The median rent of $1,054/month against a median household income of $63,966/year works out to a 19.8% rent-to-income ratio. Financial planners generally want that number under 30%, so Des Moines clears the bar with room to spare. You'll have breathing space for savings, car payments, and the occasional splurge. Numbers from Census ACS 2023.

Most people in Des Moines are at work within 17 minutes — a pretty reasonable commute by American standards. The breakdown: 72.3% drive alone, 1.1% take public transit, and 11.4% work from home. Rush hour adds time, obviously, but the baseline is manageable.

Not particularly. The climate risk score is 33/100, which puts Des Moines in the low-risk tier. Tornado, Flood, and Heat Wave are the most relevant hazards, but none of them are frequent concerns. Standard insurance should have you covered. It's one less thing to worry about if you're comparing this city to higher-risk metros along the coast or in tornado alley. Data from FEMA disaster declarations and NOAA.

For most families, yes. Graduation rates run at 88.0% with a 16:1 student-teacher ratio, which is respectable. The best schools in Des Moines compete with any in the state, though weaker ones pull the city-wide average down. If schools drive your housing decision, focus on specific attendance zones — the right neighborhood makes all the difference.

About what you'd expect anywhere. The average monthly utility bill in Des Moines runs around $230 for electricity, gas, water, and sewer combined. The national average is $230, so you're right in line. Your actual bill depends on home size, insulation quality, and how much you run the AC or heater — but no surprises here.

Good, overall. The median AQI sits at 40, which falls within the EPA's "Good" category, and Des Moines logs 275 clean-air days annually. PM2.5 is the main pollutant. Occasional spikes happen — wildfire smoke, temperature inversions, or high-ozone days — but they're the exception, not the rule. Check AirNow.gov during allergy season or summer heat waves.

Higher than average, yes. The total effective tax rate lands around 14.2% when you add up income, property, and sales taxes. Sales tax is 7.0%. High-tax areas often come with better public schools, infrastructure, and services — but that's not guaranteed, and it's cold comfort on payday. If you're moving from a low-tax state like Texas or Florida, brace for a noticeable dip in take-home pay.

Everything on this page is built from public government sources: rent and income figures from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023); commute and transportation data from Census ACS tables B08303 and B08006; crime rates from the FBI Uniform Crime Report; climate risk assessments using FEMA disaster declarations and NOAA storm records; air quality measurements from the EPA's Air Quality System database; school data from the National Center for Education Statistics; utility cost estimates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. We refresh each dataset monthly through an automated pipeline and cross-check for anomalies. No surveys, no user-submitted guesses — just official federal data presented in a way that's actually useful for people researching a move.