What’s the best part of Des Moines? It could be where everyone knows their neighbor. Or it could be where home prices are the highest, meaning it’s where everyone wants to live.
Instead of relying on public opinion and speculation, we wanted to get the facts straight and find out which neighborhoods in Des Moines are the best based on Saturday Night Science.
Whether you live in the sticks or in an apartment building downtown, you want a little pocket that you can call home. And each neighborhood offers different perks and benefits.
Smaller neighborhoods usually have obvious benefits — less crime, a slower pace of life, and a lower cost of living. But not all Des Moines neighborhoods are created equal. Some are better than others. But which ones?
If you’re thinking of moving to Iowa and Des Moines is on the top of your list, check out the best neighborhoods for 2026.
$145,591 median income · $296,550 median home value
$73,304 median income · $236,200 median home value
$95,572 median income · $338,750 median home value
$70,557 median income · $276,100 median home value
$90,268 median income · $201,533 median home value
$82,279 median income · $357,000 median home value
$72,005 median income · $175,960 median home value
$67,550 median income · $165,500 median home value
$50,678 median income · $150,700 median home value
$48,632 median income · $137,767 median home value
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Iowa’s statewide median.
Iowa statewide median: $75,059
Iowa statewide median: $231,585
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How we determined the best Des Moines, IA neighborhoods in 2026
To rank the best neighborhoods in Des Moines, we had to determine what criteria define “best” and then apply Saturday Night Science to it.
Using FBI crime, Census, and extrapolated BLS data, we arrived at the following set of criteria:
- High incomes
- Low unemployment rates
- Low crime
- High home prices
- High population densities (A proxy for things to do)
We then ranked each neighborhood with scores from 1 to 51 in each category, where 1 was the best.
Next, we averaged the rankings for each neighborhood to create a best neighborhood index.
And finally, we crowned the neighborhood with the lowest best neighborhood index, the “Best City Neighborhood In Des Moines.” We’re lookin’ at you, Waterbury.
Read on below to learn more about what it’s like to live in the best places Des Moines, Iowa has to offer. Or skip to the end to see the list of all the neighborhoods in the city, from best to worst.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best neighborhoods to live in Des Moines.
The full plate
Table: Best Des Moines neighborhoods for 2026
Click any column to sort. Search by neighborhood name.
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Waterbury | 2,817 | $296,550 | $145,591 |
| 2 | Ingersoll Park | 641 | $236,200 | $73,304 |
| 3 | Salisbury Oaks | 1,209 | $338,750 | $95,572 |
| 4 | Greenwood | 1,101 | $276,100 | $70,557 |
| 5 | Waveland Park | 3,156 | $201,533 | $90,268 |
| 6 | Linden Heights | 441 | $357,000 | $82,279 |
| 7 | Beaverdale | 9,096 | $175,960 | $72,005 |
| 8 | Lower Beaver | 5,951 | $165,500 | $67,550 |
| 9 | North Of Grand | 2,928 | $150,700 | $50,678 |
| 10 | Woodland Heights | 2,179 | $137,767 | $48,632 |
| 11 | Sherman Hill | 1,633 | $276,200 | $48,500 |
| 12 | Waveland Woods | 922 | $166,600 | $65,250 |
| 13 | Meredith | 4,719 | $208,000 | $82,472 |
| 14 | Drake | 11,707 | $148,092 | $50,473 |
| 15 | Downtown Des Moines | 5,358 | $305,300 | $64,784 |
| 16 | Southwestern Hills | 5,139 | $193,675 | $85,573 |
| 17 | Gray’s Woods | 2,370 | $116,450 | $54,532 |
| 18 | Bloomfield-Allen | 9,066 | $149,900 | $70,410 |
| 19 | Merle Hay | 9,321 | $148,409 | $60,055 |
| 20 | Chautauqua Park | 461 | $97,100 | $44,750 |
| 21 | South Park | 4,114 | $146,900 | $43,188 |
| 22 | Magnolia Park | 1,403 | $136,900 | $47,049 |
| 23 | Westwood | 1,556 | $261,550 | $69,514 |
| 24 | Greater South Side | 8,597 | $127,050 | $52,697 |
| 25 | Somerset | 232 | $178,900 | $34,952 |
| 26 | Arbor Peaks | 1,094 | $176,933 | $46,908 |
| 27 | Union Park | 6,702 | $100,350 | $50,720 |
| 28 | Valley High Manor | 235 | $134,600 | $74,427 |
| 29 | Accent | 3,853 | $103,925 | $56,897 |
| 30 | Indianola Hills | 5,271 | $127,000 | $49,755 |
| 31 | Kirkwood Glen | 300 | $105,700 | $25,865 |
| 32 | Jordan Park | 2,175 | $116,700 | $26,350 |
| 33 | Fairmont Park | 4,619 | $115,650 | $58,630 |
| 34 | Oak Park | 4,111 | $114,700 | $54,186 |
| 35 | Douglas Acres | 2,996 | $133,200 | $56,297 |
| 36 | Martin Luther King Jr Park | 2,802 | $75,800 | $34,053 |
| 37 | Drake Park | 850 | $133,900 | $38,315 |
| 38 | Fairground | 4,460 | $78,871 | $38,775 |
| 39 | Capitol Park | 2,630 | $84,950 | $39,602 |
| 40 | Highland Park | 9,529 | $107,356 | $48,216 |
| 41 | King-Irving Park | 2,399 | $86,950 | $29,094 |
| 42 | McKinley School | 1,750 | $83,933 | $43,808 |
| 43 | Laurel Hill | 322 | $124,700 | $67,838 |
| 44 | Garton West | 57 | $93,800 | $66,094 |
| 45 | Mondamin Presidentia | 2,112 | $75,800 | $35,516 |
| 46 | River Bend | 2,522 | $121,000 | $35,134 |
| 47 | East Village | 1,359 | $79,300 | $37,853 |
| 48 | Capitol East | 1,488 | $71,067 | $36,169 |
| 49 | Capitol View South | 421 | $78,300 | $42,059 |
| 50 | Cheatom Park | 1,542 | $89,900 | $41,255 |
| 51 | New Vision | 858 | $61,400 | $32,832 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. All 51 Des Moines neighborhoods.
Summary
Summary: Putting a bow on our analysis of the best neighborhoods in Des Moines
If you’re measuring the neighborhoods in Des Moines where crime is low and everyone wants to live, this is an accurate list.
The best neighborhoods in Des Moines are Waterbury, Ingersoll Park, Salisbury Oaks, Greenwood, Waveland Park, Linden Heights, Beaverdale, Lower Beaver, North Of Grand, and Woodland Heights.
As mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Des Moines aren’t all good. New Vision takes the title of the worst neighborhood to live in Des Moines.
We ranked the neighborhoods from best to worst in the chart below. Not sold on Iowa? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Neighborhoods In Des Moines FAQs
What is the best neighborhood in Des Moines?
Waterbury is the best neighborhood in Des Moines for 2026, according to Saturday Night Science. Ingersoll Park and Salisbury Oaks are next.
What are the best neighborhoods in Des Moines?
The best neighborhoods in Des Moines are Waterbury, Ingersoll Park, Salisbury Oaks, Greenwood, Waveland Park, Linden Heights, Beaverdale, Lower Beaver, North Of Grand, and Woodland Heights. We ranked all 51 neighborhoods in the city.
How expensive is Waterbury?
The median household income in Waterbury is $145,591 and the median home costs $296,550. The best blocks in Des Moines rarely come at a discount.
How do you rank Des Moines neighborhoods?
Each neighborhood is scored on income, home values, population density, unemployment, and crime, using Census tract data. The neighborhood with the best combined score, Waterbury, takes the top spot.
Which Des Moines neighborhood ranked last?
New Vision came in last of the 51 neighborhoods we scored. Every city has a bottom of the table; in Des Moines the numbers put it there.
