Living in West Des Moines

West Des Moines is a large place in Iowa, United States, home to 64,113 people. Of the 29 household profiles on Nestlyzer, its strongest are low-income households (top 1%, #38 of 9,771), movers on a budget (top 1%, #71 of 12,111), first-time home buyers (top 1%, #60 of 8,006).

Residents64,113

Density– per km²

Area– km²

Hub airport7 km (Des Moines International)

Nearest city of 100k+8 km

Within 30 km529,800 people

Climate typeContinental, hot summer (Dfa)

Terrain around itabout 280 m, height range 30 m

Nearest major riverRacoon, 2.6 km

Main railway line9.5 km

Distance to Washington, D.C.1,446 km

Within 10 km342,644 people

Greater areaGreater Des Moines, 8 km out

LandscapeCentral Lowlands

Winter daylight9 h 10 min, sunset 23:48

See West Des Moines on the map

Open in Nestlyzer

Good to know about West Des Moines

The landscape belongs to Central Lowlands.
It is part of Greater Des Moines, 8 km from the city centre.
On the shortest day the sun is up for 9 h 10 min and sets around 23:48; in late June it sets around 3:52.

Best places in Greater Des Moines

How West Des Moines ranks

Scores run 0 to 100 against every municipality in United States. Ranks count only the places that pass each profile's minimums, so the totals differ by profile. Local data: official statistics on affordability, green space, education and family, health and elderly, jobs and economy, lifestyle and amenities, mobility and connectivity and safety and community (local or regional figures, sources on every place page) plus population and geography.

Profile	Score	In United States	In Iowa
Young family	64	#1,099 of 11,898	#34 of 102	Map
Low-income household	69	#38 of 9,771	#7 of 120	Map
Low-income family	70	#204 of 8,006	#13 of 53	Map
Single parent	73	#164 of 6,237	#8 of 37	Map
Pensioner couple	58	#5,608 of 9,474	#39 of 69	Map
Single pensioner	64	#3,257 of 9,474	#30 of 69	Map
Early retiree	57	#6,483 of 10,762	#71 of 138	Map
Single professional	69	#563 of 4,537	#2 of 23	Map
Young professional	71	#604 of 4,444	#2 of 25	Map
DINKS	70	#975 of 3,053	#2 of 18	Map
Remote worker	65	#980 of 7,271	#15 of 83	Map
Commuter	80	#152 of 6,227	#3 of 46	Map
Car-free household	70	#732 of 3,933	#3 of 22	Map
Student	67	#1,180 of 2,119	#6 of 12	Map
First-home buyer	71	#60 of 8,006	#10 of 53	Map
Budget-constrained mover	66	#71 of 12,111	#7 of 165	Map
Urban lifestyle seeker	66	#905 of 4,114	#2 of 21	Map
Expat professional	73	#957 of 7,271	#3 of 83	Map
Healthcare-first mover	73	#1,105 of 9,474	#3 of 69	Map
Nature-focused household	36	#13,831 of 18,063	#342 of 353	Map
Cross-border commuter		not ranked: must-have: a border within 45 km where pay is higher on the other side	–	Map
Outdoor and mountain lover	2	#15,398 of 16,523	#278 of 283	Map
Rural value seeker	40	#10,634 of 18,063	#343 of 353	Map
High-net-worth mover	63	#4,070 of 16,523	#22 of 283	Map
Lottery winner	79	#495 of 21,167	#2 of 457	Map
Climate-resilient relocation	72	#1,019 of 12,111	#22 of 165	Map
Coastal living		not ranked: below the minimum for coast	–	Map
Business owner	76	#780 of 12,111	#1 of 165	Map
Digital native	64	#524 of 4,750	#5 of 27	Map

Strengths and trade-offs

Services nearby (people within 10 km: shops, doctors, cafes, transport)100
Foundation97
Climate exposure (estimate: coastal and river flooding, heat; 100 = low)90
Mobility and connectivity89
Flat land (terrain relief)76
Jobs and economy72
Lifestyle and amenities72
Health and elderly72
Universities in town (universities and universities of applied sciences within 10 km)70
Freight access (motorway, rail, port)69
University-town character (universities relative to the people nearby)69
Education and family66
Safety and community56
Affordability51
Climate (mild and sunny: climate class and winter daylight)50
City scale (people within 10 km: big-city life, transit, scenes)46
Market reach (residents within 100 km, across borders)35
Green space29
Sea or lake shore28
One-day truck radius (residents within 300 km, across borders)23
Home market (residents of the same country within 150 km)19
Port access (major sea or inland port)0
Chemical park nearby (sites with pipeline links)0
Mountains and water (terrain relief, lakes and the sea nearby)0
National border nearby (straight line)0
Financial centre (banking and capital markets) within commuting distance0
Commodity-trading or gold hub within commuting distance0
Crypto hub within commuting distance0
Wealth-management centre within commuting distance0

Nearby

Data: Eurostat GISCO LAU 2024; locations EDJNet LAU centres; airports OurAirports; coastline Natural Earth. Updated 2026-10-31. Rankings are decision aids, not advice.