Living in Des Moines, WA

King County

Des Moines, Washington is a real, independent King County city of roughly 33,000-33,300 residents on Puget Sound, midway between Seattle and Tacoma -- genuinely distinct from Iowa's state capital of the same name, and anchored by a real, distinct waterfront identity: the City of Des Moines Marina, a full-service facility offering wet and dry moorage for 840 recreational vessels on Puget Sound. Des Moines sits genuinely close to Sea-Tac Airport, approximately 5 miles away, real, practical travel convenience. Des Moines runs genuinely, currently more affordable than several of this build's companion King County Tier B markets, though with a real, disclosed spread in specific price citations: a February 2026 median of $530,000 (down 4.9% YoY) against a separately cited $559,500 for the same general period, and a higher $583,430 Zillow typical-home-value figure. This record makes an honest, data-driven RETIREMENT DECISION rather than defaulting to Des Moines' younger overall median age (38.0 years): the senior (65+) population share is independently cited at 16.8%-17.4% across three separate sources, consistently clearing the ~16.04% national average and the threshold this build has used elsewhere to justify a `retiring` ninth topic -- a real, plausible bimodal population (young families drawn by relative affordability alongside an above-average retiree share drawn by the waterfront marina lifestyle) rather than a single, uniform age profile. Crime runs genuinely elevated: NeighborhoodScout cites an overall rate of 39 crimes per 1,000 residents, among the more elevated figures documented across this build's Washington Tier B markets, driven chiefly by property crime. Des Moines is served chiefly by the Highline School District, which earns a C+ overall grade per Niche -- the same district and grade documented in this build's companion burien-wa.js record. Des Moines' combined 10.4% sales tax rate matches Burien's, and Washington's real capital gains excise tax (7% base, rising to 9.9% above $1 million in gains) applies identically to high-earning Des Moines residents alongside the state's genuine no-income-tax status.

Explore Des Moines in depth

• Moving to Des Moines: Pros, Cons & What to Know
• Cost of Living in Des Moines
• Housing in Des Moines
• Taxes & Insurance in Des Moines
• Climate in Des Moines
• Schools & Families in Des Moines
• Healthcare & Safety in Des Moines
• Pros and Cons of Living in Des Moines
• Retiring in Des Moines

Housing

Taxes

The tradeoffs

Who this fits

Best for: Boaters and waterfront-lifestyle-minded movers drawn to the real City of Des Moines Marina; retirees and pre-retirees drawn to a genuine, independently confirmed above-average senior population share alongside a real Puget Sound waterfront setting; frequent air travelers wanting close Sea-Tac Airport proximity without Burien's directly-documented overhead flight path; and budget-conscious movers wanting genuinely more affordable King County housing than several nearby markets.

Maybe not for you if: Anyone highly averse to an elevated crime rate should weigh NeighborhoodScout's finding that Des Moines' overall rate runs among the more elevated figures documented in this build's Washington coverage. Families prioritizing a top-tier school district should note the Highline School District's real, honestly disclosed C+ Niche grade. Buyers wanting one single, settled housing-price figure should confirm current, address-specific numbers directly given this record's real, disclosed price-citation spread.