Crime & Safety in Des Moines, IA
Violent and property crime rates, clearance data, and trends — 2024 Data
Crime Overview
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024)Violent Crime Rate
7.05
per 1,000 residents
+57% vs national
Property Crime Rate
31.26
per 1,000 residents
+44% vs national
Total Crimes
8,017
2024
Violent Clearance
29%
cases solved
-32% vs national
Property Clearance
8%
cases solved
vs Similar Cities
+56%
vs 100K-250K avg
+56% vs 100K-250K
YoY Change
-0.3%
violent crime rate
improving vs 2023
How Des Moines Compares
Source: FBI (2024)Des Moines vs Similar Cities
Source: FBI (2024)Compared to cities with 100,000 - 250,000 residents. Des Moines is highlighted in green.
Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000)
Property Crime Rate (per 1,000)
Murder Rate (per 1,000)
Violent Crime Clearance Rate
Crime Rate Trends
Source: FBICrime Composition
Source: FBI (2024)Violent Crime Breakdown
Property Crime Breakdown
Crime Clearance (Solve) Rates
Source: FBI (2024)Des Moines police solve 89% of murder cases but only 5% of burglary cases. The national violent crime clearance rate is 42%.
Weapon Used in Violent Crime
Source: FBI (2024)Crime Breakdown
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024)| Crime Type | Category | Count | Rate per 1K | Clearance % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murder | Violent | 9 | 0.04 | 88.9% |
| Rape | Violent | 107 | 0.51 | 42.1% |
| Robbery | Violent | 157 | 0.75 | 14.0% |
| Aggravated Assault | Violent | 1,198 | 5.73 | 29.0% |
| Burglary | Property | 968 | 4.63 | 5.4% |
| Larceny/Theft | Property | 4,482 | 21.42 | 8.5% |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | Property | 1,092 | 5.22 | 8.6% |
Des Moines, IA reported 1,475 violent crimes and 6,542 property crimes in 2024. The violent crime rate of 7.05 per 1,000 residents is 57.3% above the national average of 4.48 per 1,000. Law enforcement cleared 29% of violent crimes. Larceny/theft accounts for 4,482 of the property crime reports. Firearms were involved in 21.6% of aggravated assaults. Compared to similarly sized cities (100,000 - 250,000 population), Des Moines's violent crime rate is 56% higher. Violent crime has been trending downward.
Crime History
Source: FBI| Year | Violent | Property | Violent Rate | Property Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1,475 | 6,542 | 7.05 | 31.26 |
| 2023 | 1,483 | 7,022 | 7.07 | 33.49 |
| 2022 | 1,015 | 4,595 | 4.82 | 21.84 |
| 2021 | 1,348 | 6,769 | 6.33 | 31.77 |
| 2020 | 1,524 | 8,429 | 7.08 | 39.15 |
| 2019 | 1,556 | 8,933 | 7.13 | 40.91 |
| 2018 | 484 | 2,663 | 2.21 | 12.14 |
| 2017 | 1,463 | 9,622 | 6.73 | 44.28 |
| 2016 | 1,504 | 8,876 | 7.11 | 41.97 |
| 2015 | 1,122 | 8,455 | 5.33 | 40.18 |
School Shootings
Source: The Washington PostTotal Incidents
1
Total Killed
1
Total Injured
2
| Date | School | Killed | Injured | Type | Weapon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 7, 2022 | East High School | 1 | 2 | indiscriminate | nan |
Data from The Washington Post, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.