Demographics of Des Moines County, Iowa

Des Moines County, Iowa had 38,077 people on July 1, 2025, by the Census Bureau’s estimate: −772 since July 2020. Age, income, poverty, housing and origin below come from the American Community Survey, averaged over 2020–2024, each with its margin of error.

Des Moines County, in four figures

38,077
Population: July 1, 2025, Vintage 2025 estimate.; −2.0%
Change since July 2020: −772 people.; 42.3 ±0.7
Median age: ACS 2020–⁠2024.; $62,928 ±$3,409
Median household income: ACS 2020–⁠2024, in 2024 dollars.

Population, year by year

July 1 estimates from the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025. Each year's change is births less deaths, net moves from abroad and net moves from elsewhere in the country, with the Bureau's small residual. The 2020 row's components run 3 months, from the April census to July 1.

Des Moines County, Iowa's population shrank 2.0% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally

The July 1 estimate of Des Moines County, Iowa's resident population and the nation's, each year of the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025, as a share of its July 2020 level (= 100).

U.S. Census Bureau — Census Bureau population estimates — counties and Puerto Rico municipios, with components of change

About this chart

The figures

Des Moines County, Iowa's population shrank 2.0% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally. The July 1 estimate of Des Moines County, Iowa's resident population and the nation's, each year of the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025, as a share of its July 2020 level (= 100).
July 1	Population	Index	United States
2020	38,849	100.0	100.0
2021	38,537	99.2	100.2
2022	38,229	98.4	100.7
2023	38,299	98.6	101.6
2024	38,150	98.2	102.5
2025	38,077	98.0	103.1

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Population of Des Moines County, Iowa on July 1 of each year, Vintage 2025
July 1	Population	Change	Births less deaths	From abroad	From elsewhere in the country
2020	38,849	−86	−16	+1	−72
2021	38,537	−312	−125	+39	−242
2022	38,229	−308	−147	+41	−186
2023	38,299	+70	−95	+92	+80
2024	38,150	−149	−147	+70	−66
2025	38,077	−73	−156	+55	+27

Age, 2020–2024

The median age is 42.3 ±0.7: for men 41.5 ±1.3 and for women 43.1 ±1.0. Shares are of everyone the survey counts, in the Bureau’s sex-by-age table (B01001).

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People in Des Moines County by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	People	Share	Iowa	United States
Under 5	2,288 ±170	5.9% ±0.4	5.9% ±<0.1	5.6% ±<0.1
5 to 17	6,272 ±416	16.3% ±1.1	17.0% ±0.1	16.3% ±<0.1
18 to 24	2,889 ±253	7.5% ±0.7	10.0% ±0.1	9.1% ±<0.1
25 to 44	9,198 ±476	23.9% ±1.2	25.1% ±0.1	26.9% ±<0.1
45 to 64	9,660 ±401	25.1% ±1.0	23.9% ±0.1	24.8% ±<0.1
65 and over	8,180 ±474	21.3% ±1.2	18.1% ±0.1	17.2% ±<0.1

Income and poverty, 2020–2024

Median household income is $62,928 ±$3,409, and income per person $35,662 ±$1,579, in 2024 dollars. The median is $75,059 ±$418 in Iowa and $80,734 ±$166 in the United States.

Households by income

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Households in Des Moines County by income, ACS 2020–2024
Household income	Households	Share	Iowa	United States
Under $25,000	3,080 ±414	17.9% ±2.4	13.9% ±0.2	14.6% ±<0.1
$25,000 to $49,999	3,596 ±410	20.9% ±2.4	18.5% ±0.3	16.7% ±<0.1
$50,000 to $74,999	3,281 ±364	19.1% ±2.1	17.5% ±0.3	15.5% ±<0.1
$75,000 to $99,999	2,653 ±309	15.4% ±1.8	14.0% ±0.3	12.6% ±<0.1
$100,000 to $149,999	2,662 ±293	15.5% ±1.7	18.7% ±0.3	17.5% ±<0.1
$150,000 to $199,999	1,028 ±185	6.0% ±1.1	8.8% ±0.2	9.6% ±<0.1
$200,000 or more	878 ±203	5.1% ±1.2	8.6% ±0.2	13.4% ±0.1

Poverty by age

The poverty rate is the share of people whose family income is below the federal threshold for their family’s size, of everyone for whom the Bureau determines it (B17020).

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Poverty rate in Des Moines County by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	Below poverty	Rate	Iowa	United States
All ages	4,851 ±678	12.8% ±1.8	11.1% ±0.2	12.5% ±0.1
Under 18	1,372 ±328	16.3% ±3.7	12.9% ±0.3	16.1% ±0.1
18 to 59	2,291 ±430	12.1% ±2.2	11.4% ±0.3	11.6% ±0.1
60 and over	1,188 ±239	11.3% ±2.2	8.8% ±0.2	11.0% ±<0.1

Housing, 2020–2024

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Housing in Des Moines County, ACS 2020–2024
Measure	Des Moines County	Iowa	United States
Housing units	18,802 ±32	1,437,699 ±523	143,775,355 ±10,234
Occupied	91.4% ±1.7	91.5% ±0.3	89.9% ±0.1
Vacant	8.6% ±1.7	8.5% ±0.3	10.1% ±0.1
Owner occupied	74.6% ±2.4	71.7% ±0.3	65.2% ±0.3
Renter occupied	25.4% ±2.7	28.3% ±0.3	34.8% ±0.1
Median home value	$136,500 ±$6,983	$208,000 ±$1,141	$332,700 ±$236
Median gross rent	$904 ±$71	$972 ±$6	$1,413 ±$2
Median year built	1959 ±2	1972 ±1	1980 ±1

Occupied and vacant are shares of all housing units; owner and renter occupied are shares of occupied units. Value and rent are medians in 2024 dollars.

Origin and place of birth, 2020–2024

Hispanic or Latino origin is not a race in the Census Bureau’s tables. Here the people of Hispanic origin, of any race, are one row, and everyone else is counted by race alone (B03002), so the rows add to the whole.

Hispanic origin and race

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People in Des Moines County by Hispanic origin and race, ACS 2020–2024
Origin	People	Share	Iowa	United States
Hispanic or Latino	1,415 ±0	3.7% ±<0.1	7.3% ±<0.1	19.3% ±<0.1
White alone, not Hispanic	32,523 ±233	84.5% ±0.6	82.3% ±0.1	57.4% ±<0.1
Black alone, not Hispanic	1,819 ±283	4.7% ±0.7	3.8% ±0.1	11.9% ±<0.1
Asian alone, not Hispanic	464 ±139	1.2% ±0.4	2.5% ±<0.1	5.9% ±<0.1
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	23 to 155	0.1% to 0.4%	0.2% ±<0.1	0.5% ±<0.1
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0 to 4	0% to < 0.1%	0.2% ±<0.1	0.2% ±<0.1
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	0 to 176	0% to 0.5%	0.3% ±<0.1	0.6% ±<0.1
Two or more races, not Hispanic	2,109 ±380	5.5% ±1.0	3.5% ±0.1	4.3% ±<0.1

A range (the estimate less and plus its margin) where the Bureau's estimate is too uncertain to state as one number: a coefficient of variation over 30%.

Place of birth and citizenship

“Born a citizen outside the states” counts people born in Puerto Rico, the island areas, or abroad to American parents. Naturalized citizens and those who are not citizens together make up the people born abroad (B05002).

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People in Des Moines County by place of birth and citizenship, ACS 2020–2024
Born	People	Share	Iowa	United States
Born in the state	28,863 ±686	75.0% ±1.8	69.6% ±0.2	57.3% ±<0.1
Born in another state	8,410 ±680	21.9% ±1.8	23.8% ±0.2	26.9% ±<0.1
Born a citizen outside the states	118 to 512	0.3% to 1.3%	0.7% ±<0.1	1.7% ±<0.1
Born abroad	899 ±221	2.3% ±0.6	5.9% ±0.1	14.1% ±<0.1
Naturalized citizens	309 ±139	0.8% ±0.4	2.6% ±0.1	7.4% ±<0.1
Not citizens	590 ±220	1.5% ±0.6	3.3% ±0.1	6.8% ±<0.1

A range (the estimate less and plus its margin) where the Bureau's estimate is too uncertain to state as one number: a coefficient of variation over 30%.

Des Moines County among the counties of Iowa

17th of 99 by population, July 2025. Every one is listed on the Iowa page.

Counties of Iowa near Des Moines County in population, July 2025
County	July 2025	Change since 2020
Clinton County	46,002	−0.9%
Cerro Gordo County	42,372	−1.5%
Muscatine County	41,853	−3.0%
Marshall County	39,890	−0.5%
Jasper County	38,153	+0.9%
Des Moines County	38,077	−2.0%
Webster County	36,838	−0.4%
Sioux County	36,774	+2.5%
Wapello County	35,210	−0.4%
Marion County	34,192	+2.3%
Lee County	32,306	−3.6%

Elsewhere on the site

Sources

Census Bureau population estimates — counties and Puerto Rico municipios, with components of change — U.S. Census Bureau · U.S. Government work · retrieved September 25, 2026
American Community Survey 5-year estimates — table-based Summary File · U.S. Government work

Data retrieved September 25, 2026