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An editorial illustration of Des Moines, Washington
King County · Washington

Des Moines, WA

A college, schools, aviation government, and senior care anchor Des Moines.

Population
33,690
2% more from 2021 to 2026
Family households
60.8%
±4 points at 90% confidence
Local jobs
6,445
29% more from 2018 to 2023
Median income
$92,483
±$8,944 at 90% confidence
City overview

The forces shaping Des Moines now.

01
The employers behind the economy

A college, schools, aviation government, and senior care anchor Des Moines.

Des Moines contains 6,445 workplace jobs. Hospitality accounts for 21% of them. Healthcare is next at 21%.

Des Moines is primarily residential, but its largest employment anchors serve students, air transportation, local government, and older adults. That makes public budgets, enrollment, federal aviation activity, and the care economy more consequential than a conventional office cycle.

Workplace jobs: 2023
02
The trajectory

Job growth outpaced population growth by 27 points in Des Moines.

Des Moines’ population rose 2% from 2021–2026; its workplace job count rose 29% from 2018–2023. The source periods differ because the two series are released on different schedules.

With jobs moving 27 points faster than population, Des Moines is likely to rely more on inbound workers. The practical test is whether those workers can reach—or afford to live near—the expanding workplaces.

Population: 2021–2026 · jobs: 2018–2023
03
A campus city

Highline College and Central Washington University—Des Moines make higher education part of Des Moines’ economy.

61% of households are estimated to be families. Highline College and Central Washington University—Des Moines add a postsecondary population that is not visible in the public-school count.

Highline College and Central Washington University—Des Moines bring students and staff whose housing, transit, and daytime-commerce patterns differ from a conventional Des Moines office workforce. Enrollment is the missing scale measure.

Households: ACS 2024 · public-school locations: OSPI 2025–26
04
The commute that shapes the city

Des Moines sends its largest stream of resident workers to Seattle.

28% of observed resident job destinations are in Seattle, followed by SeaTac at 10%.

Current GTFS schedules 5,040 weekday stop departures at 87 stops inside Des Moines; that supply still needs to be tested against the route to Seattle, the largest outside job destination. Schedule supply is not ridership.

Workplace flows: 2023 · commute modes: ACS 2024
People

Who lives here—and which households shape demand?

The typical household estimate is 2.7 people. 61% are estimated to be family households, while 30% are estimated to be people living alone.

Average household size
2.7

±0.1 people at 90% confidence

Median age
38.0

±1.8 years at 90% confidence

Living alone
30%

±4 points at 90% confidence

Bachelor’s degree+
33%

Among residents age 25 and older. ±3 points at 90% confidence

Population composition

Who lives here

Estimated share of all Des Moines residents. Each percentage uses the city’s total population as its denominator.

White, non-Hispanic44% ±4 pts
Hispanic / Latino, any race20% ±3 pts
Black, non-Hispanic13% ±4 pts
Two or more races, non-Hispanic9.2% ±2 pts
Filipino3.8% ±2 pts
Vietnamese3.3% ±1 pts
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic1.9% ±0.9 pts
Asian Indian1.4% ±2 pts
Korean0.9% ±0.4 pts
Chinese, except Taiwanese0.7% ±0.5 pts
Cambodian0.6% ±0.7 pts
Japanese0.3% ±0.2 pts
Other Asian, not specified0.3% ±0.4 pts
Afghan0.2% ±0.4 pts
Another race, non-Hispanic0.2% ±0.2 pts
Two or more Asian groups0.2% ±0.2 pts
American Indian / Alaska Native, non-Hispanic0.2% ±0.2 pts
Thai<0.1% ±0.1 pts
Other Central Asian<0.1% ±0.1 pts
Hmong<0.1% ±0.1 pts
Taiwanese<0.1% ±0.1 pts
Laotian<0.1% ±<0.1 pt

0% published estimate: Mongolian, Okinawan, Other East Asian, Burmese, Indonesian, Malaysian, Mien, Singaporean, Other Southeast Asian, Bangladeshi, Bhutanese, Nepalese, Pakistani, Sikh, Sri Lankan, Other South Asian, Kazakh, Uzbek, Other Asian, specified. Zero is not proof that no residents identify with that group.

ACS 2020–2024 · 5-year estimates
Dataset
U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates · tables B03002 and B02015
Period
2020–2024
Geography
Des Moines Census place
Definition
Race and Hispanic/Latino origin are self-reported Census concepts. Hispanic/Latino may be of any race; the broad display uses non-Hispanic race categories plus Hispanic/Latino of any race.
Method
Every percentage is shown with its 90% margin of error. Detailed Asian estimates use the Asian-alone universe and are divided by the city population for display.
Open the official source ↗
Work

What powers the local economy—and how dependent is it?

Hospitality accounts for 21% of jobs located in Des Moines. The city’s job base changed +44% between 2010 and 2023.

Jobs by sector

Workplace jobs inside the city—not the industries of residents who commute elsewhere.

Hospitality21%
Healthcare & Social Assistance21%
Education (includes academia/research)10%
Logistics / Industrial9%
Construction / Real Estate9%

Verified employer anchors

Major institutions and employers located in Des Moines · Current or recent profile · Current city listing. The stated employer vintage is within the current two-year publication window.

Des Moines is primarily residential, but its largest employment anchors serve students, air transportation, local government, and older adults. That makes public budgets, enrollment, federal aviation activity, and the care economy more consequential than a conventional office cycle.

Highline School DistrictHeadcount not published for city scope
Highline CollegeHeadcount not published
Federal Aviation Administration—Northwest Mountain RegionHeadcount not published
Wesley Des MoinesHeadcount not published
Judson ParkHeadcount not published
City of Des Moinesabout 150 full-time

City of Des Moines community demographics ↗. Headcounts change faster than Census employment totals.

Housing

What kinds of homes exist—and where is pressure showing?

61% of occupied homes are estimated to be owner-occupied and 39% rented. The firmer current signal is construction intent: 9 homes were authorized in 2025, versus a recent pace of about 19 per year.

Home value profile

What owner-occupied homes are worth

Owner estimates from the 2020–2024 American Community Survey—not listings, recorded sales, or appraisals. The final Census band is open-ended: $2 million and above.

Median estimate$597k±17334.0 at 90% confidence
Middle half of homes$447k–$741kLower to upper quartile of owner estimates
Luxury-home concentration1%≈40 homes · estimated at $2M+
Under $500k33%
$500–749k43%
$750–999k16%
$1–1.49M6%
$1.5–1.99M1%
$2M+1%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year tables B25075–B25078. Values cover owner-occupied homes only and do not measure current asking prices or recent purchase prices.

The housing mix we can estimate confidently

This describes the existing stock. It does not imply that one building type is preferable.

Detached houses56%
Attached houses2%
2–4 unit buildings8%
5+ unit buildings32%
Other2%
Owner-occupied
61%

±5 points at 90% confidence

Owner cost-burdened
24%

Spending 30% or more on selected owner costs. ±4 points at 90% confidence

Homes authorized, 2025
9

Permit authorizations—not construction starts or completed homes.

Residential buildings, 2025
9

One building can contain one home or many housing units.

Permit activity: U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey, final annual estimate for 2025. Housing units authorized are not starts or completions.

Mobility

Where do residents need to go—and who has a real alternative to driving?

Current transit schedules include 87 stops and 5,040 weekday stop departures inside Des Moines. The 2020–2024 ACS separately estimates how workers usually commuted; it does not count every transit trip or describe today's schedule.

Weekday departures
5,040

Scheduled stop departures in the current covered-feed snapshot—not riders.

Transit stops
87

Matched inside city limits; nearby cross-border stops are separate.

Top outside workplace
Seattle

28% of observed resident job destinations in 2023 LODES.

Usually drive alone
68%

Workers age 16+; ACS 2020–2024 estimate. ±8 points at 90% confidence

Where resident workers go

Top observed workplace destinations.

Seattle28%
Peak drive: 30–60 min
SeaTac10%
Peak drive: 10–30 min
Kent9%
Peak drive: 10–30 min
Renton6%
Peak drive: 30–60 min
Tukwila5%

The strongest outside connection is Seattle. Employer or corridor changes there can alter everyday life in Des Moines, even when nothing changes inside the city boundary.

How residents usually get to work

Citywide ACS 2020–2024 estimates describe workers’ usual commute—not every trip made today.

Drive alone
68%

Share of workers usually driving alone. ±8 points at 90% confidence

Work from home
15%

Share of workers usually working from home. ±2 points at 90% confidence

Use public transit
4.6%

Usual commute mode—not all transit trips. ±2 points at 90% confidence

Commute 45+ minutes
22%

Share of workers with a one-way commute of at least 45 minutes. ±4 points at 90% confidence

For someone choosing a home in Des Moines, the practical test is the trip to Seattle, the leading outside workplace destination in the published flows. These citywide shares cannot show whether that trip works from a particular address.

Typical drive times

About how long does it take to get where people go?

Work destinations are selected from observed resident job flows. These are broad, reviewed planning ranges from representative parts of Des Moines—not live-traffic or door-to-door predictions.

Starting area
Downtown Seattle employment core

Seattle is a LODES-selected resident workplace destination for Des Moines, representing 26% of matched resident jobs from this city.

35–60 minWeekday morning peak
Details

Highway-dominant corridor: distance converted with a reviewed 1.25x circuity factor and an assumed 45 km/h peak-effective / 70 km/h off-peak effective speed, then widened and rounded to a broad band. The morning inbound peak is shown; the evening outbound return is assumed to fall within the same broad band.

SeaTac employment area

SeaTac is a LODES-selected resident workplace destination for Des Moines, representing 9% of matched resident jobs from this city.

20–40 minWeekday morning peak
Details

Local arterial-dominant corridor: distance converted with a reviewed 1.40x circuity factor and an assumed 28 km/h peak-effective / 42 km/h off-peak effective speed, then widened and rounded to a broad band. The morning inbound peak is shown; the evening outbound return is assumed to fall within the same broad band.

Kent employment area

Kent is a LODES-selected resident workplace destination for Des Moines, representing 8% of matched resident jobs from this city.

15–30 minWeekday morning peak
Details

Local arterial-dominant corridor: distance converted with a reviewed 1.40x circuity factor and an assumed 28 km/h peak-effective / 42 km/h off-peak effective speed, then widened and rounded to a broad band. The morning inbound peak is shown; the evening outbound return is assumed to fall within the same broad band.

Renton employment area

Renton is a LODES-selected resident workplace destination for Des Moines, representing 5% of matched resident jobs from this city.

20–40 minWeekday morning peak
Details

Highway-dominant corridor: distance converted with a reviewed 1.25x circuity factor and an assumed 45 km/h peak-effective / 70 km/h off-peak effective speed, then widened and rounded to a broad band. The morning inbound peak is shown; the evening outbound return is assumed to fall within the same broad band.

Method, review date, and sources

Planning estimate; actual time varies by departure time, route, traffic, weather, incidents, and closures.

Estimates are derived from reviewed origin/destination coordinates using a documented distance-to-time heuristic (circuity factor and assumed effective speed by corridor type and period), then deliberately widened and rounded to a broad band. No live routing or traffic API was called.

Estimates reviewed 2026-09-10. Starting point: selected representative area.

City boundary and regional context● nearby   ● work destinations
Daily life

Community institutions and local activity

Public schools, libraries, pharmacies, and listed everyday places show part of the local inventory inside Des Moines; taxable sales show the scale and direction of local commercial activity. Residents also use places across city lines, so a boundary count is not the same as access.

Local field guide

Places for everyday needs in Des Moines

Care, errands, food, fitness, and personal services gathered into one browsable directory.

Hospitals0 in cityFind nearby
Explore all hospitals near Des MoinesOpen
Clinics and urgent care2 listedView all
A+ Mobile Ultrasound ServicesMapHighline Medical Center Urgent CareMapExplore all clinics and urgent care in MapsOpen
Pharmacies8 listedView all
Bartell Drugs #2221615 PACIFIC HWY S · DES MOINES, WA 98198-7703MapBartell Drugs #3227055 PACIFIC HWY S · DES MOINES, WA 98198-9250MapDes Moines Drug Store Inc627 SO 227TH ST · DES MOINES, WA 98198-6827MapDes Moines Pharmacy627 S 227TH ST · DES MOINES, WA 98198-6827MapHealthpoint Midway Pharmacy26401 PACIFIC HWY S · SUITE 102 · DES MOINES, WA 98198-9247MapSafeway Pharmacy #354021401 PACIFIC HWY S · DES MOINES, WA 98198-6074MapSea Mar Community Health Centers2781 S 242ND ST · DES MOINES, WA 98198-5166MapWalgreens #0942323003 PACIFIC HWY S · DES MOINES, WA 98198-7269MapExplore all pharmacies in MapsOpen
Coffee15 listedView 8 places
Auntie Irene's Coffee ShopMapBizzy Bean EspressoMapCloud CoffeeMapConcourse Concessions LlcMapGravity CoffeeMapHappy Alley Coffee & MoreMapKukasMapMarine View EspressoMapExplore all coffee in MapsOpen
Fitness9 listedView 8 places
Anytime FitnessMapCrossFit BurienMapFitness To GoMapPlanet FitnessMapShiva YogaMapSky Yoga LlcMapSoundview Strength & ConditioningMapSukha Massage and YogaMapExplore all fitness in MapsOpen
Groceries8 listedView all
Don Gregorio's Taco TruckMapHalal Baghdad MarketMapK Thai-asian MarketMapKing Marquet,organic and Halal foodMapMadina Halal MarketMapMarina Market and DeliMapSafewayMapSam Shell Food MartMapExplore all groceries in MapsOpen
Convenience7 listedView all
7-ElevenMapABC Convenience GroceryMapDes Moines Farmers MarketMapDes Moines MarketMapExtraMileMapJacksons Food StoresMapRite AidMapExplore all convenience in MapsOpen
Restaurants56 listedView 8 places
Alberto Jr Mexican FoodMapAnchor's CafeMapAnthony's HomePortMapArturo's Mexican RestaurantMapAthens Pizza & PastaMapBarakat PizzaMapBlue Fish SushiMapBoston Pizza and PastaMapExplore all restaurants in MapsOpen
Salons and barbers30 listedView 8 places
A New Creation Hair DesignMapCindy Soung Hair StudioMapCouture Hair StudioMapDes Moines Beauty SalonMapDEZ DAY SPA/ Daze BeautyMapEntourage SalonMapEstefania Lorenzo Hair BoutiqueMapFresh Look Hair SalonMapExplore all salons and barbers in MapsOpen

Counts reflect current directory records associated with the city, not a complete business census or a measure of access. Large categories show a sample.

Sources: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), snapshot 2026-08-13; Overture Maps Foundation, release 2026-08-19.0; U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (NPPES NPI Registry), snapshot 2026-09-09.

Public library footprint

2 public-library branches inside Des Moines

Floor area shows the scale of the physical branches. Physical circulation is 2024 checkouts—not visits, unique users, or digital borrowing—and people routinely use libraries across city lines.

Branch floor area
20,080 sq ft

All matched branches must report floor area before a city total is shown.

Physical checkouts
157,785

Annual branch activity; not limited to city residents. All matched branches must report before a city total is shown.

Des Moines LibraryKing County Library System
10,230 sq ft102,059 physical checkouts47 scheduled hours/week
Woodmont LibraryKing County Library System
9,850 sq ft55,726 physical checkouts54 scheduled hours/week

Source: Washington State Library public-library statistics, 2024. System-wide visits, digital circulation, and program attendance cannot be assigned honestly to one branch, so they are not folded into these city totals.

Education footprint

The schools inside Des Moines.

Institution counts and enrollment will remain separate. A school can serve students from outside the city, and residents may attend a school across the boundary or elsewhere in their district.

Public elementary4
  • Des Moines Elementary SchoolHighline School District
  • Midway Elementary School (Des Moines)Highline School District
  • North Hill Elementary SchoolHighline School District
  • Parkside Elementary School (Des Moines)Highline School District
Public middle1
  • Pacific Middle School (Des Moines)Highline School District
Public high3
  • Maritime High SchoolHighline School District
  • Mount Rainier High SchoolHighline School District
  • Why Not You AcademyWhy Not You Academy (formerly Cascade: Midway charter)
Other public programs1
  • Woodmont K-8 SchoolFederal Way School District
College and university campuses
Highline CollegePublic four-year and community college
Central Washington University—Des MoinesPublic university center

Public-school names and levels come from OSPI. Private schools, complete IPEDS college coverage, enrollment by level, and graduate destinations are active additions; absence here should not yet be read as “none.”

Retail role

Des Moines records relatively little retail activity for its population.

Retail sales per resident fall below 89% of the cities tracked by Metroscope. That may mean residents rely more on nearby cities for shopping, but sales records alone cannot prove where they shop.

Retail sales per resident, 2024
$5,043

Higher than 11% of 82 tracked cities.

Change from 2023
+5%

Nominal retail-sales change; inflation can account for some or all of an increase.

See the underlying sales totals
Retail trade, 2024
$169.9M

Sales reported by businesses classified in retail trade.

All taxable sales
$462.5M

Includes taxable activity outside retail trade.

Retail share
37%

Retailing industries’ share of all taxable sales.

Tracked-city median
$10,670

Median retail sales per resident across cities with comparable data.

Civic life

In Des Moines, the council—not the mayor—hires the person who runs City Hall.

Des Moines voters elect the council, which hires a professional city manager to run administration. The mayor is selected from the council, so executive oversight works through the council rather than a separately elected chief executive.

Government form
Council–Manager

The elected council hires and oversees the city manager.

Mayor listed
Yoshiko Grace Matsui

Generally selected from the council—not a separately elected executive.

Council representatives listed
7

Current directory entries; vacancies or updates can make this differ from authorized seats.

Incorporated
1959

Code city under Washington law.

Where decisions happen

When does the Des Moines council meet?

Regular meeting schedule listed in the current municipal directory:

1st, 2nd & 4th Thu - 6:00pm

Schedules change and special meetings are separate. Check the city site for the live agenda, staff reports, public-comment rules, and video.

Official city site ↗Current officials directory ↗
Election record

Where to check Des Moines election results.

Regular municipal offices generally return in 2027. Special measures can appear earlier, and charter provisions can differ.

The next data step is city-specific turnout, contested-seat share, ballot measures, and campaign money. Until those are normalized, Metroscope links the official record instead of guessing from partisan elections.

Structure, meetings, and current officials: Municipal Research and Services Center of Washington (MRSC), checked 2026-09-08. Election administration and certified results: the county election offices listed above. Confirm live agendas and officeholders at the source.

Change

What is changing the city’s trajectory?

Population and jobs do not always move together. Reading both helps distinguish a growing employment center from a city whose households are increasingly tied to opportunities elsewhere.

Residents
33,690

2% more from 2021 to 2026

Local jobs
6,445

29% more from 2018 to 2023

Retail trade, 2023–2024
+5%

Nominal taxable-sales change; not adjusted for inflation.

Data & details — selected comparable metrics across 82 places
Local jobs
LODES
6,445
1,506656,821
Higher than only 23% of places
Long-run job change
LODES
+44%
−3%+166%
Higher than 61% of places
Weekday transit departures
GTFS snapshot
5,040
19256,385
Higher than 59% of places
Multifamily permitting
Census BPS
Near a 15-year low
Recent annual pace compared with this city's own 2010–2025 record
2BR Fair Market Rent
HUD, county-level
$2,549
FY2027 HUD program benchmark; chart shows FY2020–FY2027 history. Shared across this HUD metro area—not a place-specific market rent.
Work — sector breakdown
Share of local jobs by sector · LODES · workplace location, not resident industry
Hospitality21% (1,375)
Healthcare & Social Assistance21% (1,357)
Education (includes academia/research)10% (676)
Logistics / Industrial9% (579)
Construction / Real Estate9% (565)
Professional Services (partial technology proxy)6% (394)
Retail6% (367)
Government (Public Administration)6% (359)
Other5% (323)
Administrative & Support Services3% (173)
Manufacturing (includes, but is not limited to, aerospace)2% (133)
Finance1% (78)
Information (partial technology proxy)1% (66)
Where Des Moines's workforce lives (inbound)
LODES OD — commuting flows into local jobs
Federal Way
12.5%
Des Moines
12.1%
Kent
11.5%
Seattle
10.1%
Tacoma
9.3%