Des Moines’s neighborhoods conjure up too many stereotypes to count. You’ve got hipster areas, preppy places, neighborhoods where college kids thrive, and of course, ghettos.
It seems as if there’s a neighborhood for everyone in Des Moines.
And while the city consistently ranks as one of the best places to live in Iowa thanks in part to tons of entertainment and jobs, it’s not all rainbows and sunshine in Des Moines. Some neighborhoods aren’t as safe as others.
So the question arises, which Des Moines neighborhoods are the most dangerous and which are the safest?
Today, we’ll use Saturday Night Science to determine which Des Moines hoods need a little tender loving care – the sore thumbs of the Des Moines area if you will. Realistically, you can’t expect all the neighborhoods to be amazing, although Waterbury ranks way above the rest.
We examined 48 of Des Moines’s neighborhoods to find out the most dangerous places to live. These places don’t quite measure up to Des Moines’s reputation.
Table Of Contents: Top 10 | Methodology | Summary | Table
So what’s the worst neighborhood to live in Des Moines for 2024? According to the most recent census data, Capitol East looks to be the worst neighborhood in Des Moines.
Read on to see how we determined the places around Des Moines that need a pick-me-up. And remember, don’t blame the messenger.
For more Iowa reading, check out:
The 10 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods In Des Moines For 2024
/10
Population: 1,488
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 2,821
Property Crime Per 100k: 9,832
Median Home Value: $71,067 (2nd worst)
Median Income: $36,169 (8th worst)
More on Capitol East: Data
/10
Population: 1,542
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,044
Property Crime Per 100k: 9,065
Median Home Value: $89,900 (10th worst)
Median Income: $41,255 (12th worst)
More on Cheatom Park: Data
/10
Population: 858
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 994
Property Crime Per 100k: 5,506
Median Home Value: $61,400 (worst)
Median Income: $32,832 (3rd worst)
More on New Vision: Data
/10
Population: 421
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,004
Property Crime Per 100k: 5,557
Median Home Value: $78,300 (5th worst)
Median Income: $42,059 (13th worst)
More on Capitol View South: Data
/10
Population: 2,522
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,977
Property Crime Per 100k: 7,137
Median Home Value: $121,000 (20th worst)
Median Income: $35,134 (6th worst)
More on River Bend: Data
/10
Population: 2,112
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,810
Property Crime Per 100k: 5,415
Median Home Value: $75,800 (4th worst)
Median Income: $35,516 (7th worst)
More on Mondamin Presidentia: Data
/10
Population: 57
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 785
Property Crime Per 100k: 4,348
Median Home Value: $93,800 (11th worst)
Median Income: $66,094 (34th worst)
More on Garton West: Data
/10
Population: 2,399
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,006
Property Crime Per 100k: 4,238
Median Home Value: $86,950 (9th worst)
Median Income: $29,094 (2nd worst)
More on King-Irving Park: Data
/10
Population: 850
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,402
Property Crime Per 100k: 8,856
Median Home Value: $133,900 (25th worst)
Median Income: $38,315 (9th worst)
More on Drake Park: Data
/10
Population: 322
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 3,030
Property Crime Per 100k: 11,483
Median Home Value: $124,700 (2worst)
Median Income: $67,838 (36th worst)
More on Laurel Hill: Data
Methodology: How we determined the most dangerous Des Moines neighborhoods in 2024
To figure out how bad a place is to live in, we only needed to know what kinds of things people like and then decide what places have the least amount of those things. We plugged the following criteria into Saturday Night Science to get the worst neighborhoods in Des Moines:
- High crime (Estimated)
- High unemployment (Less jobs)
- Low median income (Less pay)
- Low population density (No things to do)
- Low home values (No one’s willing to pay to live here)
Then, we ranked each neighborhood in Des Moines, Iowa for each of these criteria from worst to best.
Next, we averaged the individual rankings for each criterion into a “Worst Score.”
The neighborhood with the lowest “Worst Score” ranks as the most dangerous neighborhood of Des Moines.
The article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2024. This report is our time ranking the worst neighborhoods to live in Des Moines.
Skip to the end to see the list of all 48 neighborhoods ranked from worst to best.
Summary: The Worst Neighborhoods Around Des Moines
Well, there you have it — the worst of the neighborhoods in Des Moines with Capitol East landing at the bottom of the pack.
The worst neighborhoods in Des Moines are Capitol East, Cheatom Park, New Vision, Capitol View South, River Bend, Mondamin Presidentia, Garton West, King-Irving Park, Drake Park, and Laurel Hill.
As mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Des Moines aren’t all bad. Waterbury takes the cake as the best place to live in Des Moines.
The best neighborhoods in Des Moines are Waterbury, Ingersoll Park, Salisbury Oaks, Greenwood, and Downtown Des Moines.
We ranked the neighborhoods from worst to best in the chart below.
For more Iowa reading, check out:
Most Dangerous Neighborhoods To Live In Des Moines For 2024?
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Capitol East | 1,488 | $71,067 | $36,169 |
| 2 | Cheatom Park | 1,542 | $89,900 | $41,255 |
| 3 | New Vision | 858 | $61,400 | $32,832 |
| 4 | Capitol View South | 421 | $78,300 | $42,059 |
| 5 | River Bend | 2,522 | $121,000 | $35,134 |
| 6 | Mondamin Presidentia | 2,112 | $75,800 | $35,516 |
| 7 | Garton West | 57 | $93,800 | $66,094 |
| 8 | King-Irving Park | 2,399 | $86,950 | $29,094 |
| 9 | Drake Park | 850 | $133,900 | $38,315 |
| 10 | Laurel Hill | 322 | $124,700 | $67,838 |
| 11 | Mckinley School | 1,750 | $83,933 | $43,808 |
| 12 | Highland Park | 9,529 | $107,356 | $48,216 |
| 13 | Martin Luther King Jr Park | 2,802 | $75,800 | $34,053 |
| 14 | Capitol Park | 2,630 | $84,950 | $39,602 |
| 15 | Fairground | 4,460 | $78,871 | $38,775 |
| 16 | Douglas Acres | 2,996 | $133,200 | $56,297 |
| 17 | Oak Park | 4,111 | $114,700 | $54,186 |
| 18 | Fairmont Park | 4,619 | $115,650 | $58,630 |
| 19 | Somerset | 232 | $178,900 | $34,952 |
| 20 | Jordan Park | 2,175 | $116,700 | $26,350 |
| 21 | Accent | 3,853 | $103,925 | $56,897 |
| 22 | Indianola Hills | 5,271 | $127,000 | $49,755 |
| 23 | Valley High Manor | 235 | $134,600 | $74,427 |
| 24 | Union Park | 6,702 | $100,350 | $50,720 |
| 25 | South Park | 4,114 | $146,900 | $43,188 |
| 26 | Greater South Side | 8,597 | $127,050 | $52,697 |
| 27 | Westwood | 1,556 | $261,550 | $69,514 |
| 28 | Chautauqua Park | 461 | $97,100 | $44,750 |
| 29 | Bloomfield-Allen | 9,066 | $149,900 | $70,410 |
| 30 | Gray’s Woods | 2,370 | $116,450 | $54,532 |
| 31 | Merle Hay | 9,321 | $148,409 | $60,055 |
| 32 | Magnolia Park | 1,403 | $136,900 | $47,049 |
| 33 | Southwestern Hills | 5,139 | $193,675 | $85,573 |
| 34 | Woodland Heights | 2,179 | $137,767 | $48,632 |
| 35 | Drake | 11,707 | $148,092 | $50,473 |
| 36 | Meredith | 4,719 | $208,000 | $82,472 |
| 37 | Sherman Hill | 1,633 | $276,200 | $48,500 |
| 38 | North Of Grand | 2,928 | $150,700 | $50,678 |
| 39 | Waveland Woods | 922 | $166,600 | $65,250 |
| 40 | Lower Beaver | 5,951 | $165,500 | $67,550 |
| 41 | Beaverdale | 9,096 | $175,960 | $72,005 |
| 42 | Waveland Park | 3,156 | $201,533 | $90,268 |
| 43 | Linden Heights | 441 | $357,000 | $82,279 |
| 44 | Downtown Des Moines | 5,358 | $305,300 | $64,784 |
| 45 | Greenwood | 1,101 | $276,100 | $70,557 |
| 46 | Salisbury Oaks | 1,209 | $338,750 | $95,572 |
| 47 | Ingersoll Park | 641 | $236,200 | $73,304 |
| 48 | Waterbury | 2,817 | $296,550 | $145,591 |