What kinds of homes are in Des Moines, IA?

Name: Types of homes in Des Moines, IA, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Des Moines, IA has 97,604 (±1,191) homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

That is about 1,107 homes per square mile of land.

61.6% are detached single-family houses.

5.2% are in buildings of two to four units.

26.4% are in buildings of five or more units.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Housing units: 97,604 (±1,191)
Detached houses: 61.6%
2–4 unit buildings: 5.2%
5+ unit buildings: 26.4%

Homes in Des Moines by building size

Housing units by units in structure, 2020–2024
Building type	Des Moines	Polk County	Iowa	United States
Single-family, detached	61.6% (±1.2 points)	62.7%	72.2%	61.3%
Single-family, attached (townhouse, rowhouse)	4.0% (±0.4 points)	7.6%	4.5%	6.2%
2 units	2.4% (±0.5 points)	1.7%	2.1%	3.4%
3 or 4 units	2.8% (±0.4 points)	2.2%	3.5%	4.3%
5 to 9 units	2.9% (±0.5 points)	3.8%	3.6%	4.5%
10 to 19 units	4.7% (±0.7 points)	5.1%	4.0%	4.3%
20 or more units	18.8% (±1.1 points)	14.9%	6.9%	10.3%
Mobile home	2.6% (±0.5 points)	2.0%	3.2%	5.6%
Boat, RV, van, etc.	0.1% (±0.1 points)	0.1%	0.1%	0.1%

In Des Moines, the share of homes in buildings of five or more units is higher than in Polk County (23.8%).

It is also higher than in Iowa (14.5%).

It is higher than the national figure (19.1%).

Homes in buildings of 5 or more units in places near Des Moines

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Des Moines
Place	Distance	Homes in buildings of 5 or more units	Compared with this place
Des Moines	—	26.4% (±1.4 points)	—
Pleasant Hill	5.7 mi	18.7% (±5.0 points)	Lower
Windsor Heights	5.7 mi	10.6% (±6.7 points)	Lower
Carlisle	7.1 mi	8.5% (±4.6 points)	Lower
Saylorville	7.5 mi	3.9% (±5.3 points)	Lower
Norwalk	7.6 mi	12.7% (±4.2 points)	Lower
Altoona	8.6 mi	21.6% (±5.1 points)	Not measurably different
West Des Moines	9.0 mi	39.2% (±2.8 points)	Higher
Urbandale	9.8 mi	17.1% (±2.2 points)	Lower

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Pleasant Hill, IA (18.7%), Windsor Heights, IA (10.6%), Carlisle, IA (8.5%).

Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: West Des Moines, IA (39.2%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Homes in buildings of 5 or more units across Polk County, place by place

Rank	Place	Homes in buildings of 5 or more units
1	West Des Moines	39.2% (±2.8 points)
2	Johnston	28.0% (±4.0 points)
3	Des Moines	26.4% (±1.4 points)
4	Clive	23.2% (±4.8 points)
5	Ankeny	21.7% (±2.2 points)
6	Altoona	21.6% (±5.1 points)
7	Grimes	20.4% (±7.1 points)
8	Pleasant Hill	18.7% (±5.0 points)
9	Urbandale	17.1% (±2.2 points)

Showing 9 of 17 places in Polk County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates).

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Des Moines

How many homes are in Des Moines?

Des Moines, IA has an estimated 97,604 (±1,191) housing units, occupied and vacant (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Are most homes in Des Moines houses or apartments?

61.6% are detached houses and 4.0% attached houses, while 31.6% are in buildings of two or more units.

How many two-family and small multifamily homes are in Des Moines?

5.2% of homes in Des Moines are in buildings of two to four units, the small rental buildings that are often owner-occupied.

Sources

Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Des Moines city, Iowa

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Des Moines city, Iowa (place:21000, in state:19).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0007PE, DP04_0007PM, DP04_0008PE, DP04_0008PM, DP04_0009PE, DP04_0009PM, DP04_0010PE, DP04_0010PM, DP04_0011PE, DP04_0011PM, DP04_0012PE, DP04_0012PM, DP04_0013PE, DP04_0013PM, DP04_0014PE, DP04_0014PM, DP04_0015PE, DP04_0015PM

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.