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Des Moines City, Iowa

Des Moines City, Iowa

Incorporated place · Latest: 2024↓ R+4.3 vs 2020

Safe Democratic — shifted 4.3pp toward Republicans in 2024 — 214K residents

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Place Story

What defines Des Moines City

Methodology
Containing Geography

Located In

Des Moines City sits inside these higher-level geographies.
Historian Query

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Explore Des Moines City's political evolution with the Historian
Race & Ancestry

Who Lives Here

A race-first Census view with ancestry expansion where source coverage is strong enough to support detail.
Des Moines CityCensus ACS 2024
Census race profile
Major Census race and ethnicity groups shown as a share of total population.
Expand rows for ancestry detail
White (Non-Hispanic) 61.0%Hispanic 15.6%Black 11.7%Asian 6.8%Multiracial 4.2%Native American 0.7%
GroupDes Moines CityNational
White (Non-Hispanic)
61.0%57.4%
Hispanic / Latino
15.6%19.3%
Black / African American
11.7%12.2%
Asian
6.8%6.0%
Multiracial / Other
4.2%4.0%
Native American / Alaska Native
0.7%0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%0.2%
Method notes

Census treats race and Hispanic/Latino origin as separate questions. Race categories other than Hispanic reflect total populations (small Hispanic overlap in Black, Asian, AIAN, NHPI). “Multiracial / Other” is derived as a non-overlapping remainder.

Detailed ancestry data unavailable for this geography.

Who lives in Des Moines City? 214,133 residents as of the 2020 Census.

Demographic Comparison

Demographics

Read this geography's profile in three layers: local, state (where available), and national baseline.
Des Moines City vs National214K residents
Population & electorate

Scale, voting-age share, and this geography's footprint inside the national electorate.

Total population
Local vs state vs U.S.
214K
local
214KNational 334.9M
Share of U.S. population
Local vs state vs U.S.
0.06%
local
0.06%National 100%
Voting-age population
Local vs state vs U.S.
76.5%
local
76.5%National 75.7%
Economic profile

Income, attainment, and ownership indicators that often shape coalition structure and turnout behavior.

Median household income
Local vs state vs U.S.
N/A
local
N/ANational $83,960
Poverty rate
Local vs state vs U.S.
N/A
local
N/ANational 12.5%
College degree
Local vs state vs U.S.
N/A
local
N/ANational 35.6%
Homeownership
Local vs state vs U.S.
N/A
local
N/ANational 65.2%
Community profile

Age structure, language use, and nativity signals that explain how this geography differs from state and nation.

Median age
Local vs state vs U.S.
N/A
local
N/ANational 39.1 yrs
Age 18–29
Local vs state vs U.S.
N/A
local
N/ANational 15.7%
Age 65+
Local vs state vs U.S.
N/A
local
N/ANational 17.0%
Foreign born
Local vs state vs U.S.
N/A
local
N/ANational 14.1%
Non-English at home
Local vs state vs U.S.
N/A
local
N/ANational 22.2%
English only
Local vs state vs U.S.
N/A
local
N/ANational 77.8%
Voter Turnout

Turnout in Des Moines City

Estimated using 2020 Census voting-age population.
2024 Turnout
54.5%
vs Previous
-4.6pp
Voting-Age Pop
163,885
History
2008–2024
Competitiveness

How competitive is Des Moines City?

Safe DAvg margin: D+33.0 (last 3 elections)
2008
D+34.7
2012
D+40.0
2016
D+32.7
2020
D+35.3
2024
D+31.0
Elasticity
9.0pp
margin range
Party Flips
0
last 30 years
5-Elec Avg
D+34.7
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