Population
Grand Rapids
197,768
Des Moines
212,464
Median Income
Grand Rapids
$65,526
Des Moines
$63,966
Home Value
Grand Rapids
$225,500
Des Moines
$183,700
Rent
Grand Rapids
$1,191
Des Moines
$1,054
Crime Rate
Grand Rapids
9.10
Des Moines
7.05
Cost of Living
Grand Rapids
109.3
Des Moines
104.6
Avg Temp
Grand Rapids
N/A
Des Moines
N/A
Unemployment
Grand Rapids
5.0%
Des Moines
5.8%
How Similar Are Grand Rapids & Des Moines?
Des Moines is Grand Rapids's #20 most similar city
5 of 10 key metrics match within 10%
Population
Grand Rapids
197,768
Des Moines
212,464
Both cities have similar populations — Grand Rapids at 197,768 and Des Moines at 212,464.
Violent Crime
Grand Rapids
9.10
Des Moines
7.05
Grand Rapids has a 23% higher violent crime than Des Moines.
Property Crime
Grand Rapids
24.81
Des Moines
31.26
Des Moines has a 21% higher property crime than Grand Rapids.
Political Leaning
Grand Rapids
46.5%
Des Moines
43.9%
Both cities lean Democratic with similar vote shares — 5% difference.
Unemployment
Grand Rapids
5.0%
Des Moines
5.8%
Des Moines has a 13% higher unemployment than Grand Rapids.
Median Income
Grand Rapids
$65,526
Des Moines
$63,966
Both cities have similar median income — just a 2% difference.
Home Values
Grand Rapids
$225,500
Des Moines
$183,700
Grand Rapids has a 19% higher home values than Des Moines.
Education
Grand Rapids
26.2%
Des Moines
19.3%
Grand Rapids has a 26% higher education than Des Moines.
Demographics
Grand Rapids
61.0%
Des Moines
66.9%
Both cities have similar demographics — just a 9% difference.
Cost of Living
Grand Rapids
109.3
Des Moines
104.6
Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 4% difference.
5 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Grand Rapids and Des Moines share several key characteristics.
At a Glance
0
Grand Rapids
0
Des Moines
Cost of Living & Affordability — Des Moines leads
Source: City Stats Index / HUDDes Moines has a fair market rent (2br) of $1,318 vs $1,531 in Grand Rapids (16% lower). Des Moines has a fair market rent (1br) of $1,109 vs $1,278 in Grand Rapids (15% lower). Des Moines scores 115.1 on the housing index (100 = national avg) vs 125.0 in Grand Rapids.
Overall Cost Index
Housing Index
Food Index
Transportation Index
Healthcare Index
Utilities Index
Living Wage (1 Adult)
Living Wage (Family of 4)
Fair Market Rent (1BR)
Fair Market Rent (2BR)
Housing Market
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSGrand Rapids has a median property tax of $2,401 vs $3,445 in Des Moines (30% lower). Grand Rapids has a median home value of $225,500 vs $183,700 in Des Moines (23% higher). Grand Rapids has a vacancy rate of 6.1% compared to 7.6% in Des Moines.
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Property Tax
Owner-Occupied
Vacancy Rate
Single-Family Homes
Jobs & Economy
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSDes Moines has a poverty rate of 14.9% compared to 18.6% in Grand Rapids. Grand Rapids has a unemployment rate of 5.0% compared to 5.8% in Des Moines. Des Moines: 119,617 vs Grand Rapids: 109,811 for labor force.
Median Household Income
Per Capita Income
Poverty Rate
Unemployment Rate
Labor Force
Mean Commute
Work from Home
Private Sector
Government Sector
Crime & Safety — Des Moines leads
Source: FBI UCRDes Moines has a robbery rate (per 1k) of 0.75 compared to 1.16 in Grand Rapids. Grand Rapids has a violent crime clearance of 44.5% compared to 28.9% in Des Moines. Des Moines has a murder rate (per 1k) of 0.04 compared to 0.06 in Grand Rapids.
Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)
Property Crime Rate (per 1K)
Murder Rate (per 1K)
Robbery Rate (per 1K)
Assault Rate (per 1K)
Burglary Rate (per 1K)
Larceny Rate (per 1K)
Violent Crime Clearance
Property Crime Clearance
Weather & Climate
Source: NOAA / Open-MeteoAvg Annual Temperature
Avg Annual High
Avg Annual Low
Sunny Days per Year
Annual Rainfall
Annual Snowfall
Avg Humidity
Schools & Education — Grand Rapids leads
Source: NCES / U.S. Census BureauGrand Rapids has a bachelor's degree or higher of 26.2% compared to 19.3% in Des Moines. Grand Rapids has a high school diploma or higher of 40.4% compared to 38.5% in Des Moines.
Public Schools
Avg Student-Teacher Ratio
Colleges & Universities
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
High School Diploma or Higher
Demographics & Community
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSDes Moines has a population of 212,464, about 1.1x the size of Grand Rapids (197,768). Grand Rapids skews younger with a median age of 32.1 vs 34.6.
Population
Median Age
Avg Household Size
Married Population
Foreign Born
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Grand Rapids
Des Moines
Healthcare
Source: CMS Hospital CompareGrand Rapids: 4.3 vs Des Moines: 2.8 for avg cms rating (out of 5). Des Moines: 4 vs Grand Rapids: 3 for with emergency services.
Nearby Hospitals
Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)
With Emergency Services
Transportation & Commute — Grand Rapids leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSGrand Rapids has a public transit of 3.1% compared to 1.1% in Des Moines. Grand Rapids has a bicycle of 0.9% compared to 0.4% in Des Moines. Grand Rapids has a work from home of 12.3% compared to 11.4% in Des Moines.
Mean Commute Time
Drive Alone
Public Transit
Bicycle
Work from Home
Airports
Cities Similar to Grand Rapids, MI
Compare Grand Rapids against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.
City Comparison
8-axis fingerprint: population, income, housing, crime, education, age, climate, and cost of living. Click legend items to toggle.