What percentage of people rent in Des Moines, WA?

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

39.4% (±3.1 points) of the occupied homes in Des Moines, WA are rented (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

That is 4,693 renting households against 7,232 that own their home.

In Des Moines, the share of households that rent went from 39.0% in 2015–2019 to 39.4% in 2020–2024 (+0.4 percentage points), not a measurable change.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Households that rent: 39.4% (±3.1 points)
Renting households: 4,693 (±456)
Median renter income: $55,162 (±$8,162)

Who rents and who owns in Des Moines

Tenure, estimate (90% margin of error)
	Des Moines	King County	Washington	United States
Renter-occupied share	39.4% (±3.1 points)	44.6% (±0.4 points)	36.2% (±0.3 points)	34.8%
Renting households	4,693 (±456)	419,249 (±3,837)	1,110,043 (±7,257)	45,017,354
Owning households	7,232 (±480)	521,805 (±3,926)	1,954,777 (±10,007)	84,210,142
Average renter household size	2.6 (±0.2)	2.1 (±0.0)	2.2 (±0.0)	2.3
Average owner household size	2.7 (±0.2)	2.7 (±0.0)	2.7 (±0.0)	2.6
Median renter household income	$55,162 (±$8,162)	$85,547 (±$1,255)	$66,868 (±$600)	$52,966
Median owner household income	$130,616 (±$9,229)	$166,370 (±$1,692)	$119,764 (±$583)	$100,009

In Des Moines, the renter share is lower than in King County (44.6%).

It is also higher than in Washington (36.2%).

It is higher than the national figure (34.8%).

In King County, Des Moines ranks 18 of 59 places with a published estimate, from highest to lowest renter share.

Statewide, it ranks 117 of 472.

Rankings use the estimates alone; where margins of error overlap, neighboring ranks may not truly differ.

How renting in Des Moines has changed since 2015–2019

2015–2019 and 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates
	2015–2019	2020–2024	Amount of change	Verdict
Households that rent	39.0% (±2.3 points)	39.4% (±3.1 points)	+0.4 percentage points	Not a measurable change
Median gross rent	$1,337 (±$69)	$1,799 (±$86)	+34.6%	Up after inflation
Median household income	$70,222 (±$6,888)	$92,483 (±$8,944)	+31.7%	No measurable change after inflation

The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.

Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.

The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.

Households that rent in places near Des Moines

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Des Moines
Place	Distance	Households that rent	Compared with this place
Des Moines	—	39.4% (±3.1 points)	—
Normandy Park	3.3 mi	16.6% (±5.7 points)	Lower
SeaTac	3.9 mi	53.5% (±4.7 points)	Higher
Lakeland North	3.9 mi	28.3% (±7.2 points)	Lower
Kent	4.9 mi	42.8% (±1.8 points)	Not measurably different
Federal Way	5.4 mi	44.7% (±2.1 points)	Higher
Burien	6.1 mi	43.4% (±3.1 points)	Not measurably different
Tukwila	6.4 mi	59.6% (±4.4 points)	Higher
Vashon	6.6 mi	17.3% (±4.4 points)	Lower

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Normandy Park, WA (16.6%), Lakeland North, WA (28.3%), Vashon, WA (17.3%).

Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: SeaTac, WA (53.5%), Federal Way, WA (44.7%), Tukwila, WA (59.6%).

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

Households that rent across King County, place by place

Rank	Place	Households that rent
12	Woodinville	42.7% (±4.4 points)
13	Issaquah	42.6% (±3.4 points)
14	Pacific	41.8% (±9.8 points)
15	Skykomish	41.5% (±15.3 points)
16	Bryn Mawr-Skyway	40.6% (±4.5 points)
17 (tie)	Auburn	39.4% (±2.1 points)
17 (tie)	Des Moines	39.4% (±3.1 points)
19	Kirkland	39.2% (±1.7 points)
20	Newcastle	39.0% (±4.5 points)
21	Bothell	34.5% (±2.6 points)
22	Shoreline	33.7% (±2.0 points)
23	Mercer Island	33.0% (±3.1 points)
24	Kenmore	30.7% (±3.6 points)

Showing 13 of 59 places in King County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

What you can do on Seayora in Des Moines

One account for renting, owning, managing and fixing homes, with these figures beside you.

Looking for a place to rent?

Browse homes for rent near Des Moines, save the ones you like and apply online.

Browse rentals · Create a renter account

Own or manage a rental?

List it, sign the lease and collect rent online, with the figures for Des Moines beside you.

Create a landlord account · See what landlords get

Do repairs, renovations or maintenance?

Get found by owners and renters near Des Moines, and send estimates and invoices from your phone.

Join as a pro · Find a pro

Questions about Des Moines

How many renters are there in Des Moines?

Des Moines has an estimated 4,693 (±456) renting households, 39.4% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Is renting growing in Des Moines?

In Des Moines, the share of households that rent went from 39.0% in 2015–2019 to 39.4% in 2020–2024 (+0.4 percentage points), not a measurable change.

How big are renting households in Des Moines?

A renting household in Des Moines has 2.6 people on average, against 2.7 in an owned home.

How much do renters earn in Des Moines?

The median renting household in Des Moines, WA has an income of $55,162 (±$8,162) a year, against $130,616 for households that own their home.

Sources

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) and detailed tables (acs/acs5) for Des Moines city, Washington (place:17635, in state:53).

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

The 2015–2019 figures are DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, B25064_001E, B25064_001M, B19013_001E, B19013_001M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0047E, DP04_0047M, DP04_0046E, DP04_0046M, DP04_0049E, DP04_0049M, DP04_0048E, DP04_0048M, B25119_003E, B25119_003M, B25119_002E, B25119_002M

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.