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Des Moines

A city of 32,823 people in Washington
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Now in Des Moines

What’s happening this week

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From your neighbors

What’s happening

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Weather

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Around town

Local news

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Headlines via Google News · Articles belong to their publishers.

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Around town

The places and views that make it Des Moines

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Outdoors in Des Moines

Parks & trails →

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

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Know Des Moines

The town at a glance, and the guide to how things work

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Living in Des Moines

Housing in Des Moines

$598K≈ same as a year ago Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Des Moines home is worth about $598,000, about the same as a year ago, close to the Washington typical home.

A seller's market

Buyer’sBalancedSeller’s
Days on market6
Sale-to-list101.8%
Sold in May23
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Des Moines

C−

Safety Grade C-

Des Moines reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 83% report less.

Violent crime per 1,000
Des Moines 2.3
Washington 2.9
U.S. 3.3
Property crime per 1,000
Des Moines 22.2
Washington 20.2
U.S. 15.5
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Health in Des Moines

A−

Health Grade A−

Healthier than 82% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates.

Compared with Washington

1better than WA·5worse

of 26 measures CDC estimates. The other 20 are too close to call.

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

Care nearby

Highline Medical CenterBurien · 4.8 mi · ER
Sea Mar Chc - Des Moines S. 242nd St.Des Moines · 1 mi · sliding-scale fees
2 health centers in Des Moines →
Primary careShortage · part of Des Moines
DentalNo shortage
Mental healthShortage · part of Des Moines
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Des Moines · CMS · HRSAHealth in Des Moines →

Natural hazards in Des Moines

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025 · OpenFEMANatural hazards in Des Moines →

Schools in Des Moines

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C

School Grade C

The public schools Des Moines’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 71% of Washington’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.

DistrictHighline School DistrictSchools13

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within WA. Ratings are from neighbors.

Des Moines’s library

Library details →
Des Moines Library21620 11th Avenue S · part of King County Library System
Fine-freeE-books45 hrs a week
IMLS Public Libraries Survey · FY2024Des Moines Library →
Famous people from Des MoinesWriters, athletes, leaders and more who were born in Des Moines.Meet them →

How things work in Des Moines

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Des Moines is your selected town. The feed includes posts assigned to this town, not a distance radius or ZIP code.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01