Des Moines, IA Crime Statistics For 2026

The latest crime statistics for Des Moines from FBI data. Includes murder, violent, and property crime rates for Des Moines

Crime in Des Moines, Iowa

Crime in Des Moines research summary. HomeSnacks has been using Saturday Night Science to report crime data in Des Moines over the past 9 years using the FBI Crime Explorer. Based on the most recently available data from the FBI's 2024 Uniform Crime Report, we found the following about crime in Des Moines:

8,013 Total crimes
3,829.5 Crimes / 100k people
80.70% Vs national average Above The National Average
#143 Safest in Iowa (of 150)
#9,186 Safest in the U.S. (of 9,896)

Additional research about crime in Iowa

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Des Moines Vs Iowa And National Crime Rates

According to the most recent data from the FBI, the total crime rate in Des Moines is 3,829.5 per 100,000 people. That's 80.70% higher than the national rate of 2,119.2 per 100,000 people and 148.67% higher than the Iowa total crime rate of 1,540.0 per 100,000 people.

Statistic Count
Raw
Des Moines
/ 100k People
Iowa
/ 100k People
National
/ 100k People
Total Crimes Per 100K 8,013 3,829.5 1,540.0 2,119.2
Murder 9 4.3 2.1 5.0
Robbery 157 75.0 18.7 61.0
Aggravated Assault 1,198 572.5 187.2 256.0
Violent Crime 1,471 703.0 243.3 359.0
Burglary 968 462.6 199.1 229.0
Larceny 4,482 2,142.0 962.6 1,272.0
Car Theft 1,092 521.9 135.1 259.0
Property Crime 6,542 3,126.5 1,296.8 1,760.0

Des Moines Crime Compared To Iowa Averages

Murder
Des Moines
Iowa avg
Rape
Des Moines
Iowa avg
Robbery
Des Moines
Iowa avg
Aggravated Assault
Des Moines
Iowa avg
Burglary
Des Moines
Iowa avg
Larceny
Des Moines
Iowa avg
Car Theft
Des Moines
Iowa avg
Arson
Des Moines
Iowa avg

Each category indexed to the worst per-capita rate in Iowa. Source: FBI UCR 2024.

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Source: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2024)

Violent Crime Rates In Des Moines

1,471Violent Crimes
703.0Violent Crimes / 100k People
95.82%Above The National Average
Des Moines
US
  • There were 1,471 violent crimes in Des Moines in the last reporting year.
  • The violent crime rate in Des Moines is 703.0 per 100,000 people.
  • You have a 1 in 142.2 chance of being the victim of a violent crime in Des Moines each year. That compares to a 1 in 411.1 chance statewide.
  • That's 95.82% higher than the national rate of 359.0 per 100,000 people.
  • And 189.00% higher than the Iowa violent crime rate of 243.3 per 100,000 people.

Property Crime Rates In Des Moines

6,542Property Crimes
3,126.5Property Crimes / 100k People
77.64%Above The National Average
Des Moines
US
  • There were 6,542 property crimes in Des Moines in the last reporting year.
  • The property crime rate in Des Moines is 3,126.5 per 100,000 people.
  • You have a 1 in 32.0 chance of being the victim of a property crime in Des Moines each year. That compares to a 1 in 0.0 chance nationally.
  • That's 77.64% higher than the national rate of 1,760.0 per 100,000 people.
  • And 141.10% higher than the Iowa property crime rate of 1,296.8 per 100,000 people.

Crime In Cities Around Des Moines

City Population Count
Raw
Total Crime
/ 100k People
Property Crime
/ 100k People
Violent Crime
/ 100k People
Ankeny, IA 76,547 909 1,187.5 1,021.6 165.9
West Des Moines, IA 73,335 1,378 1,879.0 1,714.1 165.0
Urbandale, IA 47,119 341 723.7 634.6 89.1
Waukee, IA 34,520 270 782.2 640.2 141.9
Johnston, IA 24,819 205 826.0 749.4 76.6
Altoona, IA 22,422 483 2,154.1 2,011.4 142.7
Clive, IA 19,124 263 1,375.2 1,166.1 209.2
Norwalk, IA 15,588 45 288.7 179.6 109.1
Pleasant Hill, IA 10,153 232 2,285.0 2,097.9 187.1
Windsor Heights, IA 5,011 242 4,829.4 4,609.9 219.5

Des Moines SnackAbility

5Overall SnackAbility
Jobs 6/10
Housing 7/10
Affordability 8/10
Diversity 9/10
Safety 3/10
Amenities 9/10
Education 7/10
Commute 9/10