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EconPulse

Local economy signal dashboard

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PLACEThriving

West Des Moines, IA

Thriving overall. Federal Funds is the clearest support signal, while jobs needs the most attention. Housing reads as affordable for a median-income household.

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Overall score82out of 100
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89
72
89
76
100

Population

71,083

Data freshness

Unknown

GDP / Output

+7.2% YoY

89

$63.8B

Output changed +7.2% in 2024.

Vintage date unknown

State growth5.0%
U.S. growth5.3%

Jobs

Unemployment rate

72

3.3%

Unemployment is 3.3% for June 2026.

Vintage date unknown

State avg3.2%
U.S. avg4.2%

Population

+6.5% 5-year

89

71,083

Population moved +6.5% over the latest ACS window.

Vintage date unknown

State population3,210,507
U.S. population334,922,499

Housing

Rent share of income

76

17.1%

Median rent consumes 17.1% of median household income: Affordable.

Vintage date unknown

State rent$972
U.S. rent$1.4K
HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

Federal Funds

$8.7K per resident

100

$4.3B

$4.3B in federal obligations flowed here in FY2025.

Vintage date unknown

State total$36.5B
U.S. total$5.3T

Population and output

Trend Snapshot

Reported share

Industry Breakdown

FY2025

Federal Money

Federal obligations

$4.3B

$8.7K per resident in reported federal flow.

Top agencies

Dollars
1. Social Security Administration$2.2B
2. Department of Education$422.5M
3. Department of Commerce$418.8M

Top recipients

Dollars
1. IOWA DEPARTMENT MANAGEMENT$418.8M
2. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IOWA$335.4M
3. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY IOWA$183.1M

Affordable

Housing Affordability

17.1%

of median income

1BR estimate$1,014
2BR estimate$1,336
Median income$86,594
Median home value$309,000

ACS context

Quick Facts

Population

71,083

Median age

36.0

Bachelor's degree+

54.9%

Poverty rate

8.4%

Labor force participation

72.7%

Prime rate

6.8%

CPI YoY

+3.2%

U.S. GDP YoY

+6.5%

Sources and warnings

Data Provenance

Census ACS 5-year

2024

BLS LAUS / CPS

June 2026

BEA regional CAGDP1

2024

USAspending

FY2025

FRED

2026-07-29

HUD Fair Market Rent

Latest available

Data notes
  • HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

5-year compound growth

Historical Trends

Population CAGR

+1.3%

GDP CAGR

+5.4%

Federal flow

5 years

Population (5 years)
202066,724
202167,640
202268,744
202369,893
202471,083
GDP (5 years)
2020$49.1B
2021$55.0B
2022$56.8B
2023$59.6B
2024$63.8B

2-year linear forecast

Predictive Outlook

Population forecast

202471,083
202572,108 *
202673,205 *

R² = 99.8% · * projected

GDP forecast

2024$63.8B
2025$67.0B *
2026$70.5B *

R² = 96.9% · * projected

Linear regression over available historical data. Projections are estimates based on past trends and do not account for policy changes, economic shocks, or other external factors.

housing affordability breakdown

Cost of Living

Median household income$86,594/yr
Median rent$1,237/mo
Rent share of income17.1%
Est. mortgage (30yr, 6.5%)$18,750/yr
Mortgage share of income21.7%

Rent data from Census ACS 5-year. Mortgage estimate assumes 20% down, 6.5% APR, 30-year fixed.

employment snapshot

Job Market

Unemployment rate3.3%
State avg3.2%
U.S. avg4.2%
Labor force participation72.7%
Poverty rate8.4%

Data from BLS LAUS / CPS. June 2026.

valuation snapshot

Real Estate

Median home value$309,000
Median monthly rent$1,237
Price-to-rent ratio20.8x

High price-to-rent ratio — renting may be more economical than buying in this market.

composite score

Investment Climate

Investment climateStrong
Composite score83/100
Economic growth89/100
Labor market72/100
Population momentum89/100
Overall stability82/100

Composite score weighs economic growth, labor market health, population momentum, and overall stability. Not financial advice.

Location Context

West Des Moines city, Iowa

City/Town

Part of

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA

Nearby locations

Clive, IACumming, IAWindsor Heights, IAWaukee, IAUrbandale, IA