Is Des Moines, IA Safe?
Des Moines, IA has a Safety Score of 79/100 (B). Violent crime is 43% below the national average. Crime has been trending downward over the past 5 years.
Key Data
| Metric | Des Moines | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime Rate | 208.2 | 363.8 |
| Property Crime Rate | 1404.5 | 1832.3 |
| Murder Rate | 2.1 | 5.7 |
| 5-Year Trend | -12.0% | |
| Population | 214,133 | |
Des Moines, IA has a Safety Score of 79/100 (B). Violent crime is 43% below the national average. Crime has been trending downward over the past 5 years.
This answer pulls from the FBI UCR/NIBRS dataset, the authoritative federal source for U.S. city and county crime rates. The headline number above is the direct answer; what follows is the additional context most readers need to use the answer for a real decision rather than just a fact lookup.
For readers turning this answer into action: cross-reference against the underlying the FBI UCR/NIBRS dataset record before acting on time-sensitive decisions. The site renders the data as it was published; subsequent revisions can shift the picture, and the live federal data is always the authoritative current reference.
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2026.