How long do people stay in their homes in Des Moines, IA?

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

29.5% (±1.3 points) of households in Des Moines, IA moved into their current home in 2020 or later (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

16.1% have lived in it since before 2000.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Moved in 2020 or later: 29.5% (±1.3 points)
Since before 2000: 16.1%

When households in Des Moines moved in

Occupied housing units by year the householder moved in, 2020–2024
Moved in	Des Moines	Polk County	Iowa	United States
2023 or later	6.3% (±0.6 points)	5.9%	4.7%	4.6%
2020 to 2022	23.2% (±1.1 points)	23.1%	19.6%	20.2%
2010 to 2019	40.6% (±1.1 points)	41.2%	38.7%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	13.7% (±0.9 points)	14.9%	16.4%	16.4%
1990 to 1999	7.7% (±0.6 points)	8.1%	9.9%	9.6%
1989 or earlier	8.4% (±0.6 points)	6.8%	10.8%	9.5%

A high share of recent movers usually means more renting households and more turnover; a high share of long-time residents usually means more owners who have stayed.

In Des Moines, the share of households that moved in since 2020 is not measurably different from Polk County (29.0%).

It is also higher than in Iowa (24.3%).

It is higher than the national figure (24.8%).

Households that moved in since 2020 in places near Des Moines

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Des Moines
Place	Distance	Households that moved in since 2020	Compared with this place
Des Moines	—	29.5% (±1.3 points)	—
Pleasant Hill	5.7 mi	26.7% (±6.4 points)	Not measurably different
Windsor Heights	5.7 mi	21.4% (±8.9 points)	Not measurably different
Carlisle	7.1 mi	18.5% (±6.6 points)	Lower
Saylorville	7.5 mi	17.3% (±8.7 points)	Lower
Norwalk	7.6 mi	28.2% (±5.7 points)	Not measurably different
Altoona	8.6 mi	32.9% (±4.9 points)	Not measurably different
West Des Moines	9.0 mi	35.2% (±2.4 points)	Higher
Urbandale	9.8 mi	26.0% (±2.6 points)	Lower

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Carlisle, IA (18.5%), Saylorville, IA (17.3%), Urbandale, IA (26.0%).

Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: West Des Moines, IA (35.2%).

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

Households that moved in since 2020 across Polk County, place by place

Rank	Place	Households that moved in since 2020
1	Ankeny	35.6% (±3.0 points)
2	West Des Moines	35.2% (±2.4 points)
3	Bondurant	33.0% (±9.6 points)
4	Altoona	32.9% (±4.9 points)
5	Des Moines	29.5% (±1.3 points)
6	Johnston	29.3% (±4.2 points)
7	Elkhart	27.8% (±10.7 points)
8	Pleasant Hill	26.7% (±6.4 points)
9	Urbandale	26.0% (±2.6 points)
10	Grimes	25.6% (±5.3 points)
11	Clive	22.6% (±4.3 points)

Showing 11 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 often do people move in Des Moines?

29.5% of households in Des Moines, IA moved into their home in 2020 or later (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

How many long-time residents does Des Moines have?

16.1% of households in Des Moines have lived in their home since 1999 or earlier.

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_0051PE, DP04_0051PM, DP04_0052PE, DP04_0052PM, DP04_0053PE, DP04_0053PM, DP04_0054PE, DP04_0054PM, DP04_0055PE, DP04_0055PM, DP04_0056PE, DP04_0056PM

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.