Who Should / Shouldn’t Move to Des Moines
Des Moines genuinely fits movers who want affordable citywide housing, a genuinely low flat state income tax, real career opportunities in insurance and financial services or the growing data-center sector, and who value Iowa's real 2023 retirement-income exemption, while taking Des Moines' honestly-disclosed elevated crime rate and above-median property tax burden seriously.
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Learn moreMovers Prioritizing Affordability and a Low Income Tax
Des Moines' citywide typical home value (approximately $212,006 per Zillow) and moderate one-bedroom rent (approximately $850-$1,052) run genuinely affordable relative to the national figures, paired with Iowa's genuinely low, flat 3.8% state income tax -- a real, genuine fit for movers prioritizing housing and income-tax affordability as top decision factors, even with Des Moines' real, disclosed above-median property tax burden factored in.
Movers Whose Careers Align With Des Moines' Real Insurance and Financial-Services Employers
Movers in insurance, financial services, or related fields may find real, precisely-located career opportunities at Principal Financial Group, Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, or EMC Insurance Companies, while movers in tech may find growing opportunities at the metro's real, current data-center facilities (Google, Meta, Apple, Edged) -- see jobs-economy for the fuller employer detail.
Retirees and Near-Retirees Who Value Iowa's Real 2023 Retirement-Income Exemption
Movers specifically drawn to Iowa's real, current 2023 law exempting pension, 401(k), and IRA income from state tax for taxpayers 55 and older (with Social Security already exempt beforehand) will find a real, substantial, honestly-precise retiree tax benefit -- see the taxes and retiring topic pages for the fuller detail.
Movers Drawn to Des Moines' Real, Transformed Downtown/East Village Core
Movers specifically drawn to a real, genuinely transformed, walkable urban core -- the Principal Riverwalk, the Pappajohn Sculpture Park, and a farmers' market drawing 25,000-plus visitors weekly -- will find a real, genuine identity in Des Moines' East Village and downtown.
Movers Who Take Des Moines' Real, Disclosed Crime Rate and Property Tax Burden Seriously
Des Moines genuinely fits movers who take the city's honestly-disclosed, elevated crime rate (per NeighborhoodScout) and above-median property tax burden seriously enough to research current, address-specific data directly for a specific target neighborhood and confirm a target property's exact tax bill -- rather than either avoiding Des Moines outright based on citywide averages alone, or moving without researching neighborhood-level and tax-specific data at all.
Key takeaways
- Des Moines genuinely fits movers prioritizing housing affordability and a low flat income tax, given its citywide typical home value of approximately $212,006 and Iowa's 3.8% rate.
- Movers in insurance, financial services, or tech may find real, precisely-located career opportunities at Des Moines' major employers.
- Retirees and near-retirees who value Iowa's real 2023 pension/401(k)/IRA tax exemption for taxpayers 55 and older will find a real, substantial benefit here.
- Movers drawn to a real, transformed, walkable downtown/East Village core will find a genuine urban identity in Des Moines.
- Des Moines fits movers who take its honestly-disclosed elevated crime rate and above-median property tax burden seriously and research current, address-specific data directly.
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