West Des Moines, Iowa Crime Rate
5 years of data (2020–2024) · Population: 73,335
Key Insights
- →West Des Moines has a safety grade of A with a violent crime rate of 165.0 per 100,000 residents (national avg: 359.1).
- →Violent crime dropped 4.6% from the previous year.
- →Crime trajectory: worsening — based on 5 years of data.
- →Safer than 45% of all cities in the OpenCrime database.
- →Violent-to-property crime ratio: 0.10 (below national average).
Violent Crime Rate
165.0
-4.6% YoY
Murder Rate
0.0
0 murders
Property Crime Rate
1714.1
1,257 total
vs National Avg
↓ -54%
National: 359.1
2024 Crime Breakdown
Violent Crime: 121
Murder0
Rape16
Robbery9
Aggravated Assault96
Property Crime: 1,257
Burglary84
Larceny-Theft1,079
Motor Vehicle Theft94
Arson2
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Year | Population | Violent Crime | Violent Rate | Murders | Property Crime | Property Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 73,335 | 121 | 165.0 | 0 | 1,257 | 1714.1 |
| 2023 | 71,674 | 124 | 173.0 | 0 | 1,574 | 2196.1 |
| 2022 | 70,701 | 176 | 248.9 | 1 | 1,215 | 1718.5 |
| 2021 | 70,414 | 102 | 144.9 | 0 | 1,225 | 1739.7 |
| 2020 | 69,252 | 93 | 134.3 | 1 | 1,140 | 1646.2 |
Crime Rate Trends
Murder Rate Trend
A
Safety Grade for West Des Moines
Based on violent crime rate of 165.0 per 100K (national avg: 359.1)
Safety Percentile
Safer than 45% of cities
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
More for West Des Moines
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer, Table 8 — Offenses Known to Law Enforcement by State by City. Rates per 100,000 residents.