Affordable Des Moines Storage Units

Moving and storage go hand in hand. Whether traveling across town or the country, moving is an exciting and fresh start. While Storage Rentals of America is here to help you with all your storage needs, we also want to help you get familiar with the area. That's why we put together this resource guide for Des Moines.

About Des Moines, IA

Des Moines is the capital of Iowa and its most-populated city, with 214,133 people (2020 U.S. Census). It is the county seat of Polk County.

The city started in 1851 as Fort Des Moines, named after the Des Moines River, a French name that means "River of the Monks" in English.

Des Moines is best known for being the insurance capital of America. It is the number one location for American insurance companies because it has one of the lowest insurance premium tax rates of just 1% compared to a higher rate in other parts of America. Additionally, many major corporations, such as Wells Fargo, Monsanto, Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, and Facebook (Meta), have data-processing and logistics centers in Des Moines.

Des Moines is important in the political process of electing the U.S. president because it is where the first caucuses happen for the primary presidential races. If you want to see the presidential hopefuls, Des Moines is the place to do that.

What to do in Des Moines, IA

Des Moines is in the heartland of America. The lifestyle is comfortable with all the conveniences and amenities one would expect of a medium-sized city.

• Shopping: The shopping malls in the area include Merle Hay Mall, Southridge Mall, Southgate Shopping Center, and Park Fair Mall. The Valley West Mall and Jordan Creek Town Center are located in nearby West Des Moines.
• Destination: The downtown area of Des Moines, known as Downtown DSM USA is full of fun things to do, including festivals, restaurants, arts/cultural attractions, music, entertainment, sports events, boutique shopping, and much more.
• Features: The public parks of Des Moines are quite beautiful. Take time to visit Gray's Lake Park with paddleboats, Pappajohn Sculpture Park with whimsical sculptures, and Easter Lake Park, which offers boat rentals on the lake.

Working in Des Moines, IA

Des Moines's local economy depends on finance, insurance, health care, and tourism. The unemployment rate is 5.9%, compared with the national rate of 6%. The median household income is $53,859 per year. The predicted job growth rate in Des Moines over the next ten years is 37.4%, beating the U.S. average of 33.5%. The average commute time is 18.3 minutes.

The most popular industries are finance & insurance (11.7%), health care (9.1%), hospitality services (8.6%), education (7.4%), building construction (6.7%), administrative support/waste management services (5.3%), and professional, scientific, and technical services (4.8%).

Des Moines, IA Neighborhoods

Des Moines has many well-established neighborhoods. The downtown area went through a complete revitalization and renovation. The best areas with nice apartment complexes, luxury homes, and condominiums are these three:

• Linden Heights/Westwood: The Westwood area is about one-quarter green space with Greenwood Park and its lovely lake in the center. Ashworth Park and Denman Woods create the southern border of the neighborhood. The median real estate price is $472,288, which costs more than 98.8% of the communities in Iowa. Apartments rent for about $1,118 for a two-bedroom, two-bath unit. The majority of homes here are owner-occupied.
• Downtown Des Moines: This area offers city living at its finest, with the Des Moines River running through it and the large Gray's Lake Park to the south. The median price for a house in this part of Des Moines is $389,080. Most of the homes are rental properties. The average monthly rental rate is $1,281 for a two-bedroom high-rise apartment.
• Salisbury Oaks: Salisbury Oaks is west of downtown and nestled in, just north of the Water Works Park and the meandering Des Moines River. The median home price is $376,208, which is more expensive than 93% of other Iowan neighborhoods. There is a nice mix of owners and renters in this area. Rents are around $1,287 per month, and the vacancy rates are very low.

Des Moines, IA School District

The Des Moines Independent Community School District is the largest one in the state. The district spends around $15,000 per student each year. The student-to-teacher ratio is around 14 to one, which is excellent.

There are 11 private schools in the area. The school ranking the highest include St. Anthony Elementary School (PK to 8th grade), St. Augustin Catholic School (PK to 8th grade), and St. Theresa Catholic School (PK to 8th grade).

There are four private four-year colleges and universities in Des Moines for higher education, including the AIB College of Business, the Mercy College of Health Sciences, Drake University, and Grand View University. There is also the two-year private Vatterott College.

Moving to Des Moines, IA

If you are moving to Des Moines, here is the contact information for the utility companies and some municipal information to get you started.

The City of Des Moines Public Works provides water, sewer, trash pickup, and recycling services. Electricity and natural gas come from MidAmerican Energy. TV, telephone, and Internet connections come from various companies, including Centurylink, AT&T, Verizon, and others.

The Des Moines Parks and Recreation Department manages more than 4,000 acres and 76 public parks across Des Moines.

Des Moines' municipal government consists of elected officials that include the mayor and six city council members, one for each of four districts, plus two, at large, serving the entire community.

Des Moines, IA Housing

The median home price in Des Moines is $195,000, trending up by 4% year-over-year. The modest home prices that are 30% below the national average positively influence Des Moines's cost of living, which is 4% lower than other cities in the state and 15% lower than the cost of living in an average American city.