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: volatile — based on 5 years of data.
- →Safer than 46% 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 46% 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.