Des Moines, Iowa Crime Rate
4 years of data (2020–2024) · Population: 209,245
Key Insights
- →Des Moines has a safety grade of F with a violent crime rate of 703.0 per 100,000 residents (national avg: 359.1).
- →Violent crime dropped 0.6% from the previous year.
- →9 murders recorded in 2024 — a rate of 4.3 per 100K.
- →Crime trajectory: volatile — based on 4 years of data.
- →Safer than 6% of all cities in the OpenCrime database.
- →Violent-to-property crime ratio: 0.22 (near national average).
Violent Crime Rate
703.0
-0.6% YoY
Murder Rate
4.3
9 murders
Property Crime Rate
3126.5
6,542 total
vs National Avg
↑ 96%
National: 359.1
2024 Crime Breakdown
Violent Crime: 1,471
Murder9
Rape107
Robbery157
Aggravated Assault1,198
Property Crime: 6,542
Burglary968
Larceny-Theft4,482
Motor Vehicle Theft1,092
Arson34
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Year | Population | Violent Crime | Violent Rate | Murders | Property Crime | Property Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 209,245 | 1,471 | 703.0 | 9 | 6,542 | 3126.5 |
| 2023 | 209,658 | 1,482 | 706.9 | 9 | 7,022 | 3349.3 |
| 2021 | 213,060 | 1,340 | 628.9 | 2 | 6,762 | 3173.8 |
| 2020 | 215,290 | 1,517 | 704.6 | 33 | 8,400 | 3901.7 |
Crime Rate Trends
Murder Rate Trend
F
Safety Grade for Des Moines
Based on violent crime rate of 703.0 per 100K (national avg: 359.1)
Safety Percentile
Safer than 6% of cities
Similar Cities
Cities with similar population and crime profile (in different states):
National Arrest Demographics
The FBI does not publish per-city arrest demographic breakdowns. At the national level, arrest data shows significant racial disparities influenced by policing patterns, poverty concentration, and systemic factors.
Related Analysis
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer, Table 8 — Offenses Known to Law Enforcement by State by City. Rates per 100,000 residents.