Des Moines County, Iowa
Located in Iowa, Des Moines County has a population of 38,487 residents and a median age of 42.3 years, making it the #1,235 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 12.8%. The median home value is $136,500, and the median household income is $62,928, which is 16% below the national median.
Demographics
Des Moines County has a population of 38,487, making it the #1,235 most populous county in the US. The median age is 42.3 years, which is 8.7% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Des Moines County is $62,928, ranking #1,804 out of 3,222 counties — 16.3% below the national median. The poverty rate is 12.8% and unemployment stands at 3.1%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Des Moines County is $136,500 (-51.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $904/mo and the homeownership rate is 74.6%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Des Moines County, 23.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 29.3% below the national average, ranking #1,391 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Des Moines County is 75.9 years. 16.0% of adults report poor or fair health and 5.0% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
16.5% of adults in Des Moines County smoke , 36.6% are obese , and 22.2% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 28.6 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Des Moines County is 6.2 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 26.9 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 15.0 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
20.9% of children in Des Moines County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 6.5 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 28.3 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Des Moines County is 66.8%. The mean commute time is 19.6 min, which is 29.0% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Des Moines County voted Republican with a margin of 15.0%. The vote was 41.8% Dem / 56.8% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 6.5 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Des Moines County, Iowa
Des Moines County, Iowa has a total population of 38,487, making it the 1,235th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Des Moines County is 42.3 years, which is 8.7% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Des Moines County is $62,928, which ranks #1,804 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 16.3% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 12.8%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.1%.
The median home value in Des Moines County is $136,500, 51.6% below the national median. Renters in Des Moines County pay a median gross rent of $904 per month. The homeownership rate is 74.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Des Moines County, 23.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 29.3% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 96.1% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 19.6 min.
Des Moines County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 84.5% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (5.5%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (4.7%).
All data for Des Moines County, Iowa comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.