Des Moines County Demographics

A map of Des Moines County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	32,523	32,753	84.5%	84.2%
Multiracial	2,109	1,797	5.5%	4.6%
Black	1,819	2,501	4.7%	6.4%
Hispanic	1,415	1,245	3.7%	3.2%
Asian	464	398	1.2%	1.0%
Native American/Other	157	216	0.4%	0.6%

Des Moines County, Iowa has an estimated population of 38,487, a slight decrease from the 38,910 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 84.5% White, 5.5% Multiracial, 4.7% Black, 3.7% Hispanic, 1.2% Asian, and 0.4% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Des Moines County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Des Moines is about as racially diverse as it was in the 2020 Census. It is less diverse than Iowa overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Des Moines County, that probability was 28.4% in 2020 and 27.9% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Des Moines County is ranked the 16th most populous county in Iowa, out of 99 counties. Des Moines County was ranked the 16th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Des Moines County's White Population

32,523 residents of Des Moines County, or 84.5% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Des Moines County is slightly higher than in Iowa overall, where 82.3% of the population is White. Des Moines County ranks 80th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 99 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Des Moines County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Des Moines County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 84.5%.

Des Moines County is more White than neighboring Louisa County (77% White). Des Moines County is less White than neighboring Henderson County (93.7% White), Henry County (86.2% White), Lee County (90.3% White), and Hancock County (94% White).

Des Moines County's Black Population

1,819 residents of Des Moines County, or 4.7% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Des Moines County is comparable to the share in Iowa overall, where 3.8% of the population is Black. Des Moines County ranks 6th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 99 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Des Moines County's Black population has declined by an estimated 27.3%. Black residents' share of Des Moines County's population has decreased from 6.4% to 4.7%.

Des Moines County is more Black than neighboring Henderson County (0.3% Black), Louisa County (0.9% Black), Henry County (2.5% Black), Lee County (2.4% Black), and Hancock County (0.7% Black).

Des Moines County's Asian Population

464 residents of Des Moines County, or 1.2% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Des Moines County is comparable to the share in Iowa overall, where 2.5% of the population is Asian. Des Moines County ranks 23rd statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 99 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Des Moines County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 16.6%. Asian residents' share of Des Moines County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.2%.

Des Moines County is more Asian than neighboring Henderson County (0.2% Asian), Henry County (0.9% Asian), Lee County (0.6% Asian), and Hancock County (0.4% Asian). Des Moines County is less Asian than neighboring Louisa County (2.2% Asian).

Des Moines County's Hispanic Population

1,415 residents of Des Moines County, or 3.7% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Des Moines County is slightly lower than in Iowa overall, where 7.3% of the population is Hispanic. Des Moines County ranks 51st statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 99 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Des Moines County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 13.7%. Hispanic residents' share of Des Moines County's population has increased from 3.2% to 3.7%.

Des Moines County is more Hispanic than neighboring Henderson County (1.2% Hispanic), Lee County (3.5% Hispanic), and Hancock County (2.3% Hispanic). Des Moines County is less Hispanic than neighboring Louisa County (16.4% Hispanic), and Henry County (5.5% Hispanic).

Des Moines County's Native American/Other Population

157 residents of Des Moines County, or 0.4% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Des Moines County is comparable to the share in Iowa overall, where 0.6% of the population is Native American/Other. Des Moines County ranks 34th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 99 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Des Moines County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 27.3%. Native American/Other residents' share of Des Moines County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.4%.

Des Moines County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Louisa County (0.1% Native American/Other), Lee County (0.3% Native American/Other), and Hancock County (0.2% Native American/Other). Des Moines County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Henderson County (1.2% Native American/Other).

Des Moines County's Multiracial Population

2,109 residents of Des Moines County, or 5.5% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Des Moines County is comparable to the share in Iowa overall, where 3.5% of the population is Multiracial. Des Moines County ranks 2nd statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 99 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Des Moines County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 17.4%. Multiracial residents' share of Des Moines County's population has increased from 4.6% to 5.5%.

Des Moines County is more Multiracial than neighboring Henderson County (3.5% Multiracial), Louisa County (3.4% Multiracial), Henry County (4.4% Multiracial), Lee County (3% Multiracial), and Hancock County (2.3% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.