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Life in Des Moines, Iowa

Des Moines Reviews Iowa Message Board
City/State
Most Recent Posts: Des Moines, Iowa Review
Are you thinking of moving or relocating to Des Moines, Iowa? Would you like to know what the quality of life is like living in Des Moines?
Faith reports in this review:
WeatherHow much crime?What are the neighborhoods like?What are the people like?
The weather here is hot and humid in the summers, sometimes to the point of misery for some. The winters, very cold, and again to the point of misery for some. Personally I don't like the cold here, it's too cold in the winters. Spring and fall are pleasant because they are in between the extremes in a much more comfortable environment. There are occasion tornadoes every once in a while, but not enough to be considered in the tornado path of the mid west. There are amazing thunderstorms at times and I think they are beautiful.Crime isnt a big factor here because its so spread out and I think the younger people are more interested in how they're gonna get into town and when to visit their friends so they don't die of boredom. Crime is not usually what they find to do.
Urbandale and West Des Moines is a great place in Des Moines to live and visit. They have nice homes, friendlier people, and are the safest areas. Bloomfield, not so much the same. In fact it is the complete opposite along with Highland Park, Gray's woods, Union Park, and Downtown. The races are pretty much the same in all areas and mixed.
The ethnic mix is mixed, and the people are pretty much friendly. Many of them are farmers, or land owners that work hard for a living. Kids are raised with learning the value of hard work, and the trendy things important to people in L.A or New York, don't seem to be important to these kids.
Downtown AreaRestaurantsSchoolsSingle life
It's nice Downtown. If you live here, you'll often figure out who else does, and what days they come into town to do their shopping and get a chance to catch up with them on how things are. If you go down to the River Walk at night time, its very beautiful with the lights and makes for a great evening in the summer. There is a farmers market that opens every spring and you can buy a lot of different things from the local farmers and many families here are involved.Some of my favourite places to dine would have to be, Lucca, La, Mie Bakery and Restaurant, HuHot Mongolian Grill, The Manhattan Deli, and Fortune Garden. The best places there!
I love the public schools here and so do all my friends with kids that attend them. The students get more 1 on 1 help and the parents are involved with talking with the teachers on a consistent basis. Both parents and teachers care about the education of the kids.

Yes, there are opportunities for singles, here and there. It is really spread out and if you have similar interests as most in the area, your chances become greater, because odds are, you'd meet them at a annual outdoor event.
Noisetown comparison vs.Best hospitalTourist attractions
There are no noise problems here that I am aware of, unless your home is close to the highway. Everything is spread out and you'll occasionally hear a tractor or farm equipment that is louder then most cars or trucks while driving, but other then that, it is peaceful.Marshalltown, Newton and Indianola are the closest towns near Des Moines, and they are pretty much the same. There are a few more attractions in Des Moines and things to do, but again here, most are still farmers and have families that have great priorities and values.
The best hospital I think is Mercy Medial Center. They took great care of me when I broke my leg and were very nice and caring.I love the farmers Market, the state fairground, Adventure-land, East Village where you can just chill and visit different little stores and you can walk all over the place and enjoy everything. There is a Botanical Garden that is very beautiful during the spring.
General comments   
I like Des Moines because it is a little bit country and people are more friendly here then in the bigger cities, and have a whole different set of priorities, in a good way. The only thing I don't care for is all the dirt and dust the cars & trucks accumulate during the summer, and all the mud and dirt they accumulate in the winter. You can tell when you're driving who is from Des Moines, Iowa and who is from a different state based on the dirt and or mud covering the back of their vehicle. It seems like a very profitable city for anyone wanting to open car wash businesses at the state lines.

   
Des Moines, Iowa population: 203433

How many black people live in Des Moines? How many white people?
Number of White People155469Percentage of White people76.4%
Number of Black People24555Percentage of Black people12.1%
Number of Hispanic People25945Percentage of Hispanic people12.8%
Number of Asian People10719Percentage of Asian people5.3%
Number of American Indian People2389Percentage of American Indian people1.2%

Note: Numbers may add up to >100% because some people are more than one race.

Des Moines, Iowa

Percent college grads: 23.4%
Percent grad school grads: 6.8%
Unemployment rate: 7.3
Median house value: 117600
Median income: 44178


How many singles in Des Moines?

Single men ages 20-34Single women ages 20-34Ratio of single men to women age
20-34
14632150940.97men for each woman
Single men ages 35-44Single women ages 35-44Ratio of single men to women age
35-44
567361190.93men for each woman
Single men ages 45-54Single women ages 45-54Ratio of single men to women age
45-54
576160400.95men for each woman


Crimes in Des Moines, Iowa
CrimesAbsolute numbersAverage percentage chance of being a victim in
by typeof crimesOne YearFive Years
Murders60%0%
Robberies2240%1%
Aggr. Assault7370%2%
Burglary22483%16%
Auto Theft7390%2%

Weather History for Des Moines, Iowa


Des Moines, Iowa Basic Temperatue and Weather (30 year averages)
MonthNumber of Days below zero (degrees)Number of Days 0-20's (degrees)Number of Days 20's (degrees)Number of Days 30's (degrees)Number of Days 40's (degrees)Number of Days 50's (degrees)Number of Days 60's (degrees)Number of Days 70's (degrees)Number of Days 80's (degrees)Number of Days 90's+ (degrees)
January00031000000
February00025400000
March000017140000
April00000921000
May00000072400
June00000009210
July00000000310
August00000000310
September00000002550
October00000823000
November000117120000
December00031000000
Average year0008838435158880
How many days and how much precipitation and snow for Des Moines, Iowa?

Number of days of rain
(.1 inch or greater)
total rainfallNumber of days of snow
(.5 inch or greater)
Total snowfall
January31.0238.2
February31.2638.3
March4214
April7311
May8400
June7400
July6400
August6400
September5300
October5200
November4212
December3128
Average year66361334
Realistic temperatures, taking into account precipitation, amount of sunlight during the day, winds during the day, and humidity during hot days.

MonthNumber of Days below zero (degrees)Number of Days 0-20's (degrees)Number of Days 20's (degrees)Number of Days 30's (degrees)Number of Days 40's (degrees)Number of Days 50's (degrees)Number of Days 60's (degrees)Number of Days 70's (degrees)Number of Days 80's (degrees)Number of Days 90's+ (degrees)
January03100000000
February017110000000
March001561000000
April000014160000
May00000427000
June000000410313
July00000000031
August00000000031
September000000016131
October00001185700
November00159600000
December02740000000
Average year0754515412836331676


How many hot humid days a year does Des Moines, Iowa have?
How many cloudy days a year does Des Moines, Iowa have?
How many sunny days a year does Des Moines, Iowa have? How sunny is it?
How many windy days a year does Des Moines, Iowa have? How windy is it?
See below for the answers!
MonthNumber of hot, humid daysNumber of very windy daysNumber of windy daysNumber of somewhat windy daysNumber of calm daysNumber of clear daysNumber of moderately cloudly daysNumber of somewhat cloudy daysNumber of very cloudy days
January03100091415
February02800081413
March03100082415
April03000082513
May03100082612
June20246009379
July310310011477
August310265011377
September818120012258
October031000122411
November03000081414
December03100091415
Average year9028575501193167144


(Note: Humidity, wind, and cloudcover information is based on (a) 30 year averages and in many cases (b) a large nearby weather station. If you're in an area with a lot of "micro climates" actual conditions may vary.)


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Sources of information: Census, FBI Crime Statistics, NOAA
Disclaimer: The information presented here are for the general population, assume the same rate of crime in the future, and an evenly distributed amount of crime throughout the city in question. They are not meant to accurately predict whether one person in particular will be a victim of crime. Percentages are based on the population of the city/town in question, except for burglaries, which are based on the number of households.