Demographics · IA
Des Moines, IA demographics: 212,421 residents, with a median age of 34.6 years, from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 2020–2024 (5-year estimates).
212,421people are estimated in Des Moines, at a median age of 34.6 years (American Community Survey 2020–2024 period estimate)
Median age 34.6 years — younger than the U.S. median of 38.9.
ACS 2020–2024 5-year · ACS 5-Year Estimates 2020-2024 (released 2026-01-29)
In Des Moines, the largest race group is White (64.1%); 16.3% of residents are Hispanic or Latino (of any race); 14.2% were born outside the United States.
ACS 2020–2024 · B01001 / B01002
The estimated median age in Des Moines is 34.6 years (±0.4), compared with the U.S. estimate of 38.9 ± 0.1 years. These are descriptive comparisons, not significance tests. The population is 50.0% ± 0.6 percentage points male and 50.0% ± 0.6 percentage points female. The largest age band is 25 to 34 at 16.8%.
| Age band | People | Share | ± margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 13,800 | 6.5% ± 0.4 percentage points | ±774 |
| 5 to 17 | 35,429 | 16.7% ± 0.6 percentage points | ±1,281 |
| 18 to 24 | 22,992 | 10.8% ± 0.5 percentage points | ±1,137 |
| 25 to 34 | 35,638 | 16.8% ± 0.5 percentage points | ±1,153 |
| 35 to 44 | 28,234 | 13.3% ± 0.5 percentage points | ±1,118 |
| 45 to 54 | 24,217 | 11.4% ± 0.5 percentage points | ±1,030 |
| 55 to 64 | 25,066 | 11.8% ± 0.5 percentage points | ±1,086 |
| 65 to 74 | 16,744 | 7.9% ± 0.4 percentage points | ±874 |
| 75 and over | 10,301 | 4.8% ± 0.3 percentage points | ±651 |
Median age by sex: 34.2 (male) · 34.9 (female).
Shares may not sum to 100% due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2020–2024 (B01001 sex by age, B01002 median age) · place-grain · margins of error at the 90% confidence level · methodology →
ACS 2020–2024 · B02001 / B03003
The largest race group in Des Moines is White at 64.1% of the population. Separately, 16.3% of residents are Hispanic or Latino of any race.Race and Hispanic origin are two different questions on the census form, so their shares are reported separately and are not additive.
| Race (alone, or two or more) | People | Share | ± margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| White alone | 136,202 | 64.1% ± 1.0 percentage points | ±2,065 |
| Black or African American alone | 23,970 | 11.3% ± 0.8 percentage points | ±1,752 |
| American Indian & Alaska Native alone | 1,089 | 0.5% ± 0.2 percentage points | ±402 |
| Asian alone | 14,105 | 6.6% ± 0.5 percentage points | ±1,164 |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander alone | 238 | 0.1% ± 0.1 percentage points | ±163 · low precision |
| Some other race alone | 13,484 | 6.3% ± 0.8 percentage points | ±1,677 |
| Two or more races | 23,333 | 11.0% ± 0.9 percentage points | ±2,000 |
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) | 34,573 | 16.3% ± 0.7 percentage points | ±1,457 |
Race shares may not sum to 100% due to rounding; race and Hispanic origin are separate questions and are not additive. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2020–2024 (B02001 race, B03003 Hispanic or Latino origin) · place-grain · margins of error at the 90% confidence level · methodology →
ACS 2020–2024 · B11001 / B25010
Des Moines has 90,105 households. 53.3% are family households and 37.5% are people living alone. The average household holds 2.30 people.
Total households
90,105
ACS 2020–2024 5-yr · B11001
Avg household size
2.30
ACS 2020–2024 5-yr · B25010 · ±0.03
Family households
53.3% ± 1.0 percentage points
Share of all households · B11001
Living alone
37.5% ± 1.4 percentage points
Share of all households · B11001
| Household type | Households | ± margin |
|---|---|---|
| Total households | 90,105 | ±1,262 |
| Family households | 48,036 | ±1,155 |
| Nonfamily households | 42,069 | ±1,387 |
| Householder living alone | 33,751 | ±1,363 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2020–2024 (B11001 household type, B25010 average household size) · place-grain · methodology →
ACS 2020–2024 · B05002 / C16001
14.2% of Des Moines residents were born outside the United States. 78.1% of residents age 5 and over speak only English at home. The most-spoken non-English language at home is Spanish (11.5%).
| Measure | Value | Source / grain |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign-born share | 14.2% ± 0.8 percentage points | 30,141 people · B05002 |
| Speak only English at home (age 5+) | 78.1% ± 1.1 percentage points | C16001 |
| Top non-English language at home | 11.5% ± 0.7 percentage points | Spanish · 22,907 speakers · C16001 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2020–2024 (B05002 place of birth, C16001 language spoken at home) · place-grain · methodology →
ACS 2020–2024 · B15003
29.7% ± 1.2 percentage points of adults age 25 and over in Des Moines hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The U.S. estimate is 35.7%.
| Measure | Value | Source / grain |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 29.7% | B15003 lines 22–25 over line 1 · place-grain |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2020–2024 (B15003 educational attainment, population 25+) · place-grain · methodology →
Sources · provenance
The GEOID for Des Moines is 1921000. Every figure on this page is a place-grain American Community Survey 5-Year 2020–2024 estimate (ACS 5-Year Estimates 2020-2024 (released 2026-01-29)) shown with its margin of error. Full per-dataset detail: /sources/.