Polk County · Iowa
Des Moines, IA crime rate
Offenses reported by the Des Moines Police Department to the FBI for 2024, next to 2023, the state and the country — counts and rates per 100,000 residents.
Quick answer
In 2024 the Des Moines Police Department reported 1,477 violent offenses and 6,605 property offenses across a covered population of 209,245. That is 705.9 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 94% above the national rate.
- Violent crime rate 2024
- 705.9US 363.9 per 100k
- Property crime rate 2024
- 3,156.6US 1,769 per 100k
- Violent crime year over year
- -1.3%2023 to 2024, reported counts
- Violent clearance rate
- 29%Cleared by arrest or exceptional means
Every offense the FBI publishes for Des Moines
Reported offenses and rates per 100,000 residents, 2024, with the state and national rate alongside.
| Offense | Reported 2024 | Rate per 100k | Iowa rate | US rate | vs 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 1,477 | 705.9 | 247.1 | 363.9 | -1.3% |
| Murder & non-negligent manslaughter | 9 | 4.3 | 2.4 | 5.2 | +12.5% |
| Rape | 110 | 52.6 | 38.2 | 39.3 | -29% |
| Robbery | 158 | 75.5 | 19.1 | 61.7 | -16.8% |
| Aggravated assault | 1,200 | 573.5 | 187.3 | 257.6 | +4.9% |
| Property crime | 6,605 | 3,156.6 | 1,331 | 1,769 | -7.3% |
| Burglary | 968 | 462.6 | 202.7 | 232.1 | +2.2% |
| Larceny / theft | 4,513 | 2,156.8 | 983.1 | 1,267.8 | -5.6% |
| Motor vehicle theft | 1,090 | 520.9 | 137.1 | 258 | -17.4% |
| Arson | 34 | 16.2 | 8.1 | 11.1 | -54.7% |
How to read Des Moines crime data
What these numbers do and do not tell you.
Everything above is what one agency — the Des Moines Police Department, ORI IA0770300 — reported to the FBI for a covered population of 209,245. Transit, university, county and state police working the same streets file separately and are not added in, so a city total is not the total of all crime inside the city limits. Rates use the agency's own population coverage as the denominator, which is how the FBI computes them. Property offenses moved down 7.3% against 2023. Reporting practices, staffing and NIBRS transition dates differ between departments, so treat city-to-city comparison as directional rather than exact.
Keep going
Other Des Moines data on this site.
Agency Des Moines Police Department, ORI IA0770300. Counts are offenses known to law enforcement; clearances may include cases opened in an earlier year.