Des Moines, WA

Census Place

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2021 Population

32,631

2.03% 1-year growth

US Senator

Patty Murray

Democratic Party

US Senator

Maria Cantwell

Democratic Party

2021 Median Age

38.6

1.03% 1-year decrease

2021 Poverty Rate

11.3%

50.2% 1-year increase

2021 Median Household Income

$73,131

4.07% 1-year growth

2021 Median Property Value

$416,500

9.81% 1-year growth

2021 Employed Population

15,260

0.928% 1-year decline

About

In 2021, Des Moines, WA had a population of 32.6k people with a median age of 38.6 and a median household income of $73,131. Between 2020 and 2021 the population of Des Moines, WA grew from 31,983 to 32,631, a 2.03% increase and its median household income grew from $70,268 to $73,131, a 4.07% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Des Moines, WA are White (Non-Hispanic) (49.1%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (12.3%), Other (Hispanic) (11.2%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (10.7%), and Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (7.02%).

None of the households in Des Moines, WA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

86.1% of the residents in Des Moines, WA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Des Moines, WA are Highline College (1,083 degrees awarded in 2021).

In 2021, the median property value in Des Moines, WA was $416,500, and the homeownership rate was 58.9%.

Most people in Des Moines, WA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 29.6 minutes. The average car ownership in Des Moines, WA was 2 cars per household.

United States Washington King County, WA Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA Burien, SeaTac, Tukwila Cities & White Center PUMA, WA Federal Way, Des Moines Cities & Vashon Island PUMA, WA Kent City PUMA, WA

Population & Diversity

Des Moines, WA is home to a population of 32.6k people, from which 86.1% are citizens. As of 2021, 24.7% of Des Moines, WA residents were born outside of the country (8.06k people).

In 2021, there were 3.98 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (16k people) in Des Moines, WA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 4.03k Asian (Non-Hispanic) and 3.67k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

86.1%

2021 Citizenship

87.1%

2020 Citizenship

As of 2021, 86.1% of Des Moines, WA residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.4%. In 2020, the percentage of US citizens in Des Moines, WA was 87.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Des Moines, WA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Des Moines, WA

White (Non-Hispanic)
16k ± 1.23k
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
4.03k ± 921
Other (Hispanic)
3.67k ± 942

16.7%

Hispanic Population

5.46k people

16.7% of the people in Des Moines, WA are hispanic (5.46k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Des Moines, WA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Washington.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
242,407 ± 11,894 people
India
95,173 ± 7,527 people
China
81,169 ± 6,957 people

In 2021, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Washington was Mexico, the natal country of 242,407 Washington residents, followed by India with 95,173 and China with 81,169.

Foreign-Born Population

24.7%

2021 Foreign-Born Population

8.06k people

21.2%

2020 Foreign-Born Population

6.77k people

As of 2021, 24.7% of Des Moines, WA residents (8.06k people) were born outside of the United States, which is higher than the national average of 13.6%. In 2020, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Des Moines, WA was 21.2%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Des Moines, WA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
519 ± 102
Gulf War (2001-)
361 ± 154
Korea
285 ± 187

Des Moines, WA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.44 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Des Moines, WA employs 15.3k people. The largest industries in Des Moines, WA are Transportation & Warehousing (2,020 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,717 people), and Retail Trade (1,546 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($110,227), Finance & Insurance ($84,257), and Manufacturing ($77,264).

Males in Washington have an average income that is 1.35 times higher than the average income of females, which is $65,962. The income inequality in Washington (measured using the Gini index) is 0.468, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

15.3k

2021 Value

± 1,091

−0.928%

1 Year decline

± 10.1%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Des Moines, WA declined at a rate of −0.928%, from 15.4k employees to 15.3k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Des Moines, WA, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,798 people), Management Occupations (1,432 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (1,057 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Des Moines, WA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Washington (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

15.3k

2021 Value

± 1,091

−0.928%

1 Year decline

± 10.1%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Des Moines, WA declined at a rate of −0.928%, from 15.4k employees to 15.3k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Des Moines, WA, are Transportation & Warehousing (2,020 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,717 people), and Retail Trade (1,546 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Des Moines, WA, though some of these residents may live in Des Moines, WA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$50,816

Median earning men ± $4,708

$41,663

Median earning women ± $3,837

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2021 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($87,566), Public Administration ($84,563), and Information ($72,188).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2021 are Manufacturing ($79,918), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($71,402), and Public Administration ($66,607).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

Y-Axis

2.75%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 155M people employed in Washington. This represents a 2.75% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Washington.

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Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from Washington to other states, or from other states to Washington.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

In 2020, the top outbound Washington product (by dollars) was Misc. mfg. prods. with $42.2B, followed by Mixed freight ($36.4B) and Electronics ($33.3B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound Washington products.

Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for Washington.

$416B

2020 Value in Washington

$982B

Projected 2050 Value in Washington

136% growth

In 2020, total outbound Washington trade was $416B. This is expected to increase 136% to $982B by 2050.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound Washington trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from Washington to other states, or from other states to Washington.

Most Common Trade Partners

Oregon
$34.7B
California
$26.5B
Texas
$12.9B

In 2020, the top outbound Washington domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Oregon with $34.7B, followed by California with $26.5B and Texas and $12.9B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that Washington shares with each state (excluding itself).

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Washington went to Joseph R Biden Jr. with 58% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (38.8%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.97%).

Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell are the senators currently representing the state of Washington. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Washington is currently represented by 10 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Des Moines, WA. Showing the available data for Washington.

2020 Election Results

Joseph R Biden Jr. (58%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (38.8%)
Republican Party
Jo Jorgensen (1.97%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Washington went to Joseph R Biden Jr. with 58% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (38.8%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.97%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Washington for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Washington

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Washington.

Patty Murray

Senator from Washington

Assumed office on January 3, 1993

Maria Cantwell

Senator from Washington

Assumed office on January 3, 2001

Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell are the senators currently representing Washington.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Washington over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Washington

Washington is currently represented by 10 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Washington have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2021, universities in Des Moines, WA awarded 1,083 degrees. The student population of Des Moines, WA in 2021 is skewed towards women, with 1,854 male students and 3,097 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Des Moines, WA are White (301 and 29.9%), followed by Asian (230 and 22.9%), Hispanic or Latino (133 and 13.2%), and Black or African American (121 and 12%).

The largest universities in Des Moines, WA by number of degrees awarded are Highline College (1,083 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Des Moines, WA are Liberal Arts & Sciences (521 and 48.1%), Registered Nursing (142 and 13.1%), and Medical Assistant (68 and 6.28%).

The median tuition cost in Des Moines, WA for a public four year colleges is $3,445 for in-state students and $3,445 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2021 there were 4,951 students enrolled in Des Moines, WA, 37.4% men and 62.6% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 1,243 records, of which 63.4% were women and 36.6% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Liberal Arts & Sciences
521 degree-majors awarded
Registered Nursing
142 degree-majors awarded
General Business
67 degree-majors awarded

In 2021, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Des Moines, WA was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 521 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Des Moines, WA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Highline College

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

1,083 degrees awarded

In 2021, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Highline College with 1,083 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2021, 370 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Des Moines, WA, which is 0.519 times less than the 713 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2021 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 301 degrees mean that there were 1.31 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Asian, with 230 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 4-year or above ($3,445) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2021.

Public, 4-year or above ($899) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2021.

Public, 4-year or above ($930) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Washington.

Measure

In 2021, 0.864% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.881% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Washington.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2021 were Some college (1.41M), High School or Equivalent (1.38M), and Bachelors Degree (1.29M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Des Moines, WA was $416,500 in 2021, which is 1.7 times larger than the national average of $244,900. Between 2020 and 2021 the median property value increased from $379,300 to $416,500, a 9.81% increase. The homeownership rate in Des Moines, WA is 58.9%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.6%.

People in Des Moines, WA have an average commute time of 29.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Des Moines, WA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Des Moines, WA is $73,131. In 2021, the place with the highest median household income in Des Moines, WA was Census Tract 287 with a value of $117,476, followed by Census Tract 290.01 and Census Tract 288.01, with respective values of $81,630 and $68,017.

Housing

Property

$416,500

Median Property Value 2021

±$14,644

$7,221

Median Property Taxes

±$566

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Des Moines, WA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Des Moines, WA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

58.9%

Homeownership

2021

62.9%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2021

In 2021, 58.9% of the housing units in Des Moines, WA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 58.6%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Des Moines, WA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 287
Census Tract 290.01
Census Tract 288.01

In 2021, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Des Moines, WA was Census Tract 287 with a value of $117,476, followed by Census Tract 290.01 and Census Tract 288.01, with respective values of $81,630 and $68,017.

The following map shows all of the places in Des Moines, WA colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$73,131

Median Household Income

± $6,192

12.3k

Number of Households

± 937

In 2021, the median household income of the 12.3k households in Des Moines, WA grew to $73,131 from the previous year's value of $70,268.

The following chart displays the households in Des Moines, WA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Des Moines, WA is from Washington.

0.468

2021 Wage GINI in Washington

0.466

2020 Wage GINI in Washington

In 2021, the income inequality in Washington was 0.468 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.488% growth from 2020 to 2021, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Washington was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Washington in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Washington across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2021

Drove Alone (73.2%)
Carpooled (10.3%)
Worked At Home (7.96%)

In 2021, 73.2% of workers in Des Moines, WA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (10.3%) and those who worked at home (7.96%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

29.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Des Moines, WA have a longer commute time (29.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.8 minutes). Additionally, 1.37% of the workforce in Des Moines, WA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Des Moines, WA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Des Moines, WA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Des Moines, WA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

11.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Des Moines, WA (3.66k out of 32.3k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.6%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Females 45 - 54.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Des Moines, WA is White, followed by Black and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

90.1% of the population of Des Moines, WA has health coverage, with 42.1% on employee plans, 24.4% on Medicaid, 12.9% on Medicare, 9.58% on non-group plans, and 1.11% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in King County, WA see 828 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.241% decrease from the previous year (830 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 912 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 195 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for King County, WA.

828 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in King County, WA

Primary care physicians in King County, WA see an average of 828 patients per year. This represents a 0.241% decrease from the previous year (830 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in King County, WA in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2021, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.2% under 18 years, 21.3% between 18 and 34 years, 38.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 16.8% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46.5% were men and 53.5% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

9.89%

Uninsured

42.1%

Employer Coverage

24.4%

Medicaid

12.9%

Medicare

9.58%

Non-Group

1.11%

Military or VA

Between 2020 and 2021, the percent of uninsured citizens in Des Moines, WA declined by 3.78% from 10.3% to 9.89%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Des Moines, WA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.