Poverty and living standards in West Des Moines, Iowa: official figures
8.4% of residents of West Des Moines (5,933 people) had incomes below the federal poverty line in the 2020-2024 American Community Survey, 213th lowest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 12.5%; Iowa: 11.1%).
How many children live in poverty in West Des Moines?
10.0% of children under 18 in West Des Moines lived below the poverty line in 2020-2024 (1,489 children), 238th lowest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 16.1%; Iowa: 12.9%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyWhat is the poverty rate for older people in West Des Moines?
By age, the poverty rate in West Des Moines was 9.2% for children under 6 and 5.9% for residents aged 60 and over in 2020-2024 (US: 17.2% and 11.0%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many people in West Des Moines live in deep poverty?
3,110 people in West Des Moines, 4.4% of residents, had incomes below half the poverty line in 2020-2024, 257th lowest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 6.0%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many renters in West Des Moines are cost-burdened?
42.8% of renting households in West Des Moines spent 30% or more of their income on rent and utilities in 2020-2024 (5,711 households), 64th lowest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 51.1%; Iowa: 43.9%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many households in West Des Moines spend half their income on rent?
17.3% of renting households in West Des Moines spent half or more of their income on rent and utilities, 29th lowest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 25.9%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many people in West Des Moines are food insecure?
An estimated 9.2% of adults in West Des Moines experienced food insecurity in the past year, joint 47th lowest of 592 US cities of 50,000 or more with an estimate, and 8.2% housing insecurity (CDC PLACES model-based estimate for 2023, age-adjusted).
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · saved copyHow West Des Moines compares with other cities in the United States
Residents below the poverty line (2020-2024)
West Des Moines ranks 611 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Residents below the poverty line |
|---|---|---|
| 608 | Napa | 8.5% |
| 609 | Hillsboro | 8.5% |
| 610 | St. Clair Shores | 8.4% |
| 611 | West Des Moines | 8.4% |
| 612 | Santa Clara | 8.4% |
| 613 | Peoria | 8.4% |
| 614 | Brentwood | 8.3% |
Children under 18 below the poverty line (2020-2024)
West Des Moines ranks 586 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Children under 18 below the poverty line |
|---|---|---|
| 583 | Oak Lawn | 10.1% |
| 584 | Thousand Oaks | 10.1% |
| 585 | Sandy Springs | 10.1% |
| 586 | West Des Moines | 10.0% |
| 587 | Chula Vista | 10.0% |
| 588 | Evanston | 10.0% |
| 589 | Daly City | 10.0% |
Residents with incomes below half the poverty line (2020-2024)
West Des Moines ranks 567 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Residents with incomes below half the poverty line |
|---|---|---|
| 564 | Concord | 4.4% |
| 565 | Newport Beach | 4.4% |
| 566 | Stamford | 4.4% |
| 567 | West Des Moines | 4.4% |
| 568 | Bend | 4.4% |
| 569 | Commerce City | 4.4% |
| 570 | Oxnard | 4.3% |
Renting households spending 30% or more of income on rent (2020-2024)
West Des Moines ranks 760 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Renting households spending 30% or more of income on rent |
|---|---|---|
| 757 | Farmington Hills | 43.0% |
| 758 | Eagle Mountain | 43.0% |
| 759 | Overland Park | 42.8% |
| 760 | West Des Moines | 42.8% |
| 761 | Pharr | 42.7% |
| 762 | Livonia | 42.6% |
| 763 | Ankeny | 42.4% |
Adults experiencing food insecurity (age-adjusted model estimate) (2023)
West Des Moines ranks 543 of 592, highest first.
| Rank | City | Adults experiencing food insecurity (age-adjusted model estimate) |
|---|---|---|
| 540 | O'Fallon | 9.2% |
| 541 | Troy | 9.2% |
| 542 | Rochester Hills | 9.2% |
| 543 | West Des Moines | 9.2% |
| 544 | Eagan | 9.2% |
| 545 | St. Peters | 9.2% |
| 546 | Plainfield | 9.2% |
More on West Des Moines: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · government budget · all cities in the United States
Sources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: PLACES: Place Data (GIS Friendly Format), 2025 release: model-based age-adjusted prevalence among adults, for every place (data.cdc.gov API, columns used), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b2174bcc660f…)
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B17020: Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months by Age (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 e79a292f34605560506b7f4b5c8ea242c9d6e203c8e95ba675565ddb7758571e), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 41bab025d213…)
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table C17002: Ratio of Income to Poverty Level in the Past 12 Months (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 dc3dc675113683ec3ff2a0e29a840f43e03268151d7f14b922658d7306da5187), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 31aa364bfddf…)
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B25070: Gross Rent as a Percentage of Household Income in the Past 12 Months (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 862ccc17d913305d11e6f802ce4518d76b30585ea0b05b251cd8cf21f8661386), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 4f8d499d9e95…)
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