Des Moines metro poverty rate rises
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
The share of Des Moines-area residents living in poverty has edged upward in recent years, though it still falls below both state and national averages, new Census Bureau data shows.
Why it matters: While poverty rates declined locally and statewide from 2012 through 2019 as wages increased, especially among low-income workers, the trend has subtly reversed post-pandemic.
By the numbers: 10.2% of residents in the Des Moines metro, or about 74,000 people, lived below the poverty line in 2023, up from 8.9% the year before and 8.7% in 2019, per the Census Bureau.
- Statewide, 11.3% of Iowa's population lived below the poverty level last year.
- Nationally in 2023, the official poverty rate was 11.1%.
Context: The Census Bureau considered someone below the poverty line in December 2023 if they made less than roughly $15,800 as an individual, or under about $31,000 as a family with two adults and two children.