The Town Files

Des Moines County, Iowa

38,487 people. The median home is worth $136,500 (typical Iowa town: $156,300) and the median household earns $62,928.

Towns in Des Moines County

Towns in Des Moines County

TownPeopleMedian homeIncomeMedian age
Burlington23,982$114,300$59,00042.5
West Burlington3,197$124,000$48,54238.0

People and housing

Des Moines CountyTypical Iowa town
Median home value$136,500$156,300
Median rent$904$820
Median household income$62,928$69,254
Median age42.340.2
Bachelor's degree or higher23.8%21.8%
Below the poverty line12.8%9.3%

Jobs and pay

19,833 jobs in 2024, average pay $52,718 a year.

Largest industries in Des Moines CountyManufacturing4,073 jobs · $63,660Health care & social assistan…3,232 jobs · $68,546Retail2,610 jobs · $33,372Hotels & restaurants1,861 jobs · $19,457Construction856 jobs · $65,289Transportation & warehousing815 jobs · $58,986
BLS QCEW 2024.
Unemployment rate in Des Moines County0%2%4%6%8%2000200420082012201620202023 4.2%
BLS LAUS via USDA ERS, annual averages.

Storms since 1996

NOAA recorded 639 storm events in Des Moines County from 1996 to 2026.

Storm events in Des Moines County by type since 1996Hail109Flood65Drought17Dense Fog9Ice Storm10Lightning9Heavy Snow13Flash Flood33Funnel Cloud9Winter Storm57
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

Federal disaster declarations

Des Moines County has been included in 27 FEMA declarations since 1953.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
June 24, 2024Severe StormDR-4796: Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes
August 25, 2023FloodDR-4732: Flooding
March 23, 2020BiologicalDR-4483: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3480: Covid-19
March 23, 2019FloodDR-4421: Severe Storms And Flooding
October 31, 2016FloodDR-4289: Severe Storms And Flooding
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024; BLS QCEW and LAUS; NOAA Storm Events; FEMA OpenFEMA (not endorsed by FEMA).