Des Moines’s neighborhoods conjure up too many stereotypes to count. You’ve got hipster areas, preppy places, neighborhoods where college kids thrive, and of course, ghettos.
It seems as if there’s a neighborhood for everyone in Des Moines.
And while the city consistently ranks as one of the best places to live in Iowa thanks in part to tons of entertainment and jobs, it’s not all rainbows and sunshine in Des Moines. Some neighborhoods aren’t as safe as others.
So the question arises, which Des Moines neighborhoods are the most dangerous and which are the safest?
Today, we’ll use Saturday Night Science to determine which Des Moines hoods need a little tender loving care – the sore thumbs of the Des Moines area if you will. Realistically, you can’t expect all the neighborhoods to be amazing, although Waterbury ranks way above the rest.
We examined 49 of Des Moines’s neighborhoods to find out the most dangerous places to live. These places don’t quite measure up to Des Moines’s reputation.
Table Of Contents: Top 10 | Methodology | Summary | Table
So what’s the worst neighborhood to live in Des Moines for 2025? According to the most recent census data, New Vision looks to be the worst neighborhood in Des Moines.
Read on to see how we determined the places around Des Moines that need a pick-me-up. And remember, don’t blame the messenger.
For more Iowa reading, check out:
The 10 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods In Des Moines For 2025
/10
Population: 858
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,099
Property Crime Per 100k: 5,205
Median Home Value: $61,400 (worst)
Median Income: $32,832 (3rd worst)
More on New Vision: Data
/10
Population: 1,542
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,021
Property Crime Per 100k: 8,161
Median Home Value: $89,900 (11th worst)
Median Income: $41,255 (13th worst)
More on Cheatom Park: Data
/10
Population: 421
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 979
Property Crime Per 100k: 4,640
Median Home Value: $78,300 (5th worst)
Median Income: $42,059 (14th worst)
More on Capitol View South: Data
Population: 1,359
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 2,172
Property Crime Per 100k: 5,556
Median Home Value: $79,300 (7th worst)
Median Income: $37,853 (9th worst)
More on East Village: Data
/10
Population: 1,488
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,039
Property Crime Per 100k: 4,923
Median Home Value: $71,067 (2nd worst)
Median Income: $36,169 (8th worst)
More on Capitol East: Data
/10
Population: 2,522
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 2,185
Property Crime Per 100k: 6,986
Median Home Value: $121,000 (2worst)
Median Income: $35,134 (6th worst)
More on River Bend: Data
/10
Population: 2,112
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,771
Property Crime Per 100k: 4,767
Median Home Value: $75,800 (4th worst)
Median Income: $35,516 (7th worst)
More on Mondamin Presidentia: Data
/10
Population: 57
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 888
Property Crime Per 100k: 4,209
Median Home Value: $93,800 (12th worst)
Median Income: $66,094 (35th worst)
More on Garton West: Data
/10
Population: 2,399
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 984
Property Crime Per 100k: 3,147
Median Home Value: $86,950 (10th worst)
Median Income: $29,094 (2nd worst)
More on King-Irving Park: Data
/10
Population: 322
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 3,056
Property Crime Per 100k: 11,724
Median Home Value: $124,700 (22nd worst)
Median Income: $67,838 (37th worst)
More on Laurel Hill: Data
Methodology: How we determined the most dangerous Des Moines neighborhoods in 2025
To figure out how bad a place is to live in, we only needed to know what kinds of things people like and then decide what places have the least amount of those things. We plugged the following criteria into Saturday Night Science to get the worst neighborhoods in Des Moines:
- High crime (Estimated)
- High unemployment (Less jobs)
- Low median income (Less pay)
- Low population density (No things to do)
- Low home values (No one’s willing to pay to live here)
Then, we ranked each neighborhood in Des Moines, Iowa for each of these criteria from worst to best.
Next, we averaged the individual rankings for each criterion into a “Worst Score.”
The neighborhood with the lowest “Worst Score” ranks as the most dangerous neighborhood of Des Moines.
The article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2025. This report is our time ranking the worst neighborhoods to live in Des Moines.
Skip to the end to see the list of all 49 neighborhoods ranked from worst to best.
Summary: The Worst Neighborhoods Around Des Moines
Well, there you have it — the worst of the neighborhoods in Des Moines with New Vision landing at the bottom of the pack.
The worst neighborhoods in Des Moines are New Vision, Cheatom Park, Capitol View South, East Village, Capitol East, River Bend, Mondamin Presidentia, Garton West, King-Irving Park, and Laurel Hill.
As mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Des Moines aren’t all bad. Waterbury takes the cake as the best place to live in Des Moines.
The best neighborhoods in Des Moines are Waterbury, Ingersoll Park, Salisbury Oaks, Greenwood, and Linden Heights.
We ranked the neighborhoods from worst to best in the chart below.
For more Iowa reading, check out:
Most Dangerous Neighborhoods To Live In Des Moines For 2025?
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Vision | 858 | $61,400 | $32,832 |
| 2 | Cheatom Park | 1,542 | $89,900 | $41,255 |
| 3 | Capitol View South | 421 | $78,300 | $42,059 |
| 4 | East Village | 1,359 | $79,300 | $37,853 |
| 5 | Capitol East | 1,488 | $71,067 | $36,169 |
| 6 | River Bend | 2,522 | $121,000 | $35,134 |
| 7 | Mondamin Presidentia | 2,112 | $75,800 | $35,516 |
| 8 | Garton West | 57 | $93,800 | $66,094 |
| 9 | King-Irving Park | 2,399 | $86,950 | $29,094 |
| 10 | Laurel Hill | 322 | $124,700 | $67,838 |
| 11 | Mckinley School | 1,750 | $83,933 | $43,808 |
| 12 | Highland Park | 9,529 | $107,356 | $48,216 |
| 13 | Capitol Park | 2,630 | $84,950 | $39,602 |
| 14 | Drake Park | 850 | $133,900 | $38,315 |
| 15 | Fairground | 4,460 | $78,871 | $38,775 |
| 16 | Martin Luther King Jr Park | 2,802 | $75,800 | $34,053 |
| 17 | Douglas Acres | 2,996 | $133,200 | $56,297 |
| 18 | Oak Park | 4,111 | $114,700 | $54,186 |
| 19 | Fairmont Park | 4,619 | $115,650 | $58,630 |
| 20 | Jordan Park | 2,175 | $116,700 | $26,350 |
| 21 | Indianola Hills | 5,271 | $127,000 | $49,755 |
| 22 | Accent | 3,853 | $103,925 | $56,897 |
| 23 | Valley High Manor | 235 | $134,600 | $74,427 |
| 24 | Union Park | 6,702 | $100,350 | $50,720 |
| 25 | Greater South Side | 8,597 | $127,050 | $52,697 |
| 26 | Somerset | 232 | $178,900 | $34,952 |
| 27 | Magnolia Park | 1,403 | $136,900 | $47,049 |
| 28 | Westwood | 1,556 | $261,550 | $69,514 |
| 29 | South Park | 4,114 | $146,900 | $43,188 |
| 30 | Merle Hay | 9,321 | $148,409 | $60,055 |
| 31 | Chautauqua Park | 461 | $97,100 | $44,750 |
| 32 | Gray’s Woods | 2,370 | $116,450 | $54,532 |
| 33 | Bloomfield-Allen | 9,066 | $149,900 | $70,410 |
| 34 | Southwestern Hills | 5,139 | $193,675 | $85,573 |
| 35 | Downtown Des Moines | 5,358 | $305,300 | $64,784 |
| 36 | Drake | 11,707 | $148,092 | $50,473 |
| 37 | Meredith | 4,719 | $208,000 | $82,472 |
| 38 | Waveland Woods | 922 | $166,600 | $65,250 |
| 39 | Sherman Hill | 1,633 | $276,200 | $48,500 |
| 40 | Woodland Heights | 2,179 | $137,767 | $48,632 |
| 41 | North Of Grand | 2,928 | $150,700 | $50,678 |
| 42 | Lower Beaver | 5,951 | $165,500 | $67,550 |
| 43 | Beaverdale | 9,096 | $175,960 | $72,005 |
| 44 | Waveland Park | 3,156 | $201,533 | $90,268 |
| 45 | Linden Heights | 441 | $357,000 | $82,279 |
| 46 | Greenwood | 1,101 | $276,100 | $70,557 |
| 47 | Salisbury Oaks | 1,209 | $338,750 | $95,572 |
| 48 | Ingersoll Park | 641 | $236,200 | $73,304 |
| 49 | Waterbury | 2,817 | $296,550 | $145,591 |