Des Moines, IA Crime Rates & Map

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Total crime 96%

Violent crime 82%

Property crime 99%

Date & Last Updated: This data reflects the 2020 calendar year and was released from the FBI in September, 2021; this is the most current data available.

Statistic	Reported_incidents	_{/100k people}	Des Moines_{/100k people}	Iowa_{/100k people}	National_{/100k people}
Total crime	9,917	n/a (estimate)	4,606	2,002	2,346
Murder	33	n/a	15.3	3.5	6.5
Rape	119	n/a	55.3	40.7	38.4
Robbery	246	n/a	114.3	29.8	73.9
Assault	1,119	n/a	519.8	229.4	279.7
Violent crime	1,517	n/a (estimate)	705	304	388
Burglary	1,925	n/a	894.1	371.1	314.2
Theft	5,053	n/a	2,347.1	1,130.1	1,398.0
Vehicle theft	1,422	n/a	660.5	197.1	246.0
Property crime	8,400	n/a (estimate)	3,902	1,698	1,958

Key findings

Des Moines crime rates are 96% higher than the national average
Violent crimes in Des Moines are 82% higher than the national average
In Des Moines you have a 1 in 22 chance of becoming a victim of crime
Des Moines is safer than 6% of the cities in the United States
Year over year crime in Des Moines has decreased by 4%

Des Moines crime map

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Crime map data by SpotCrime. Sign up for local SpotCrime alerts.

The Des Moines crime map provides a detailed overview of all crimes in Des Moines as reported by the local law enforcement agency. Based on the color coded legend above, the crime map outlines the areas with lower crime compared to the areas with higher crime. The Des Moines crime heat map offers insight into the total crimes on a block group level.

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Daily Crime In Des Moines (per 100,000 people)

The number of daily crimes per 100,000 residents in Des Moines, Iowa is displayed in the graph above. As you can see, the daily crimes for Des Moines are 2.30 times more than the Iowa average and 1.96 times more than the national level. Daily violent crimes in Des Moines are 2.32 times more than than Iowa and 1.82 times more than the national mean. While daily property crimes in Des Moines are 2.30 times more than than Iowa and 1.99 times more than the national average.

How Safe is Des Moines (higher is better)

Are people any safer living in Des Moines in comparison to other Iowa communities and all other areas throughout the United States? When we look at all cities across America, is Des Moines safe? The evidence provided by these graphs show Des Moines being safer than 4% of cities in Iowa and 6% of cities across the United States. This is evident by tracking Iowa cities as well as all US cities over a one year period to contrast crime statistics as they relate to Des Moines. In conclusion, Des Moines ranks above average compared to the rest of the United States.

Chance of Being A Victim of Crime in Des Moines

The chance of being a victim of violent crime in Des Moines is 1 in 142

The chance of being a victim of property crime in Des Moines is 1 in 26

The chance of being a victim of crime in Des Moines is 1 in 22

Wondering what the chances are that you fall victim to a crime in Des Moines? In Des Moines, IA you have a 1 in 142 chance of becoming a victim of violent crime. Violent crimes include murder, rape, robbery and assault. With regards to property crime, you have a 1 in 26 chance of becoming a victim. Property crimes include burglary, theft and motor vehicle theft. Overall, you have a 1 in 22 chance of becoming a victim of crime in Des Moines.

Year Over Year Crime In Des Moines (per 100,000 people)

An analysis of year to year crime rates in Des Moines, Iowa (per 100,000 people) is a useful indicator of whether the area is becoming a safer or a more dangerous place to live. The amount of violent crime in Des Moines has decreased by 1%, the amount of property crime in Des Moines has decreased by 5%, and the total amount of crime in Des Moines has decreased by 4% year over year.

Des Moines police department

Item	Des Moines	Iowa	National
Law enforcement employees (officers & civilians)	500	3,827	558,732
Police officers & civilians /1000 residents	n/a	1.8	3.3

Sex offenders in Iowa

State	Total offenders	Iowa_/100K	National_/100K
Iowa	6,040	205	266

There are a total of 6,040 sex offenders in Iowa. This yields a total of 205 sex offenders in Iowa per 100,000 residents which is 23% less than the national average.

Nearby Cities With Low Crime Rates

City, State	Population	Violent crime_{/100k people}	Property crime_{/100k people}	Total crime_{/100k people}
Norwalk, IA	9,944	49	106	154
Granger, IA	1,461	78	433	511
Polk City, IA	4,115	58	503	561
Saylorville, IA	3,445	108	604	712
Cumming, IA	415	123	686	809
Mitchellville, IA	2,271	138	770	907
Waukee, IA	16,955	90	926	1,016
Des Moines, IA	212,859	705	3,902	4,606

Cities with similar population

City, State	Population	Violent crime_{/100k people}	Property crime_{/100k people}	Total crime_{/100k people}
Birmingham, AL	212,424	1,912	6,314	8,226
Spokane, WA	212,078	600	5,151	5,751
San Bernardino, CA	214,581	1,402	2,800	4,202
Rochester, NY	210,291	819	3,356	4,175
Richmond, VA	216,773	463	3,499	3,962
Des Moines, IA	212,859	705	3,902	4,606

Source: The Des Moines, IA crime data displayed above is derived from the FBI's uniform crime reports for the year of 2020. The crime report encompasses more than 18,000 city and state law enforcement agencies reporting data on property and violent crimes. The uniform crime reports program represents approximately 309 million American residents, which results in 98% coverage of metropolitan statistical areas.