Affordable Des Moines Storage Units

Moving and storage go hand in hand. Whether you are traveling across town or across 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

The capital of Iowa is the city of Des Moines, with a population of 214,133 (in 2020). It is the county seat of Polk County.

Back in 1851, the city started as Fort Des Moines. It was an outpost on the Des Moines River. The town grew slowly until the 1900s. Then, it attracted commerce and became known as the hub for American insurance companies. In contemporary times, many large corporations, such as Hewlett-Packard, Monsanto, Microsoft, and Wells Fargo, have their headquarters in Des Moines or maintain data centers for logistical operations.

When it comes time to elect the next president of the United States, Des Moines gets lots of attention because it is the first place for caucuses in the primary races for the parties’ nominees for president. During an election year, people from all over the United States visit the city hoping to get a chance to meet some candidates in person.

What to do in Des Moines, IA

Des Moines offers a pleasant, comfortable lifestyle with all the amenities expected for a nice-sized city.

• Shopping: The shopping malls are Southridge Mall, Merle Hay Mall, Park Fair Mall, and Southgate Shopping Center.
• Destination: The downtown area is full of fun places to explore and enjoy. There are festivals, music, entertainment, boutique shopping, sports events, art shows, cultural attractions, and more.
• Features: Des Moines has outstanding public parks. Gray's Lake Park, Easter Lake Park, Ashby Park, Pappajohn Sculpture Park, and Chamberlain Park are some of the favorite ones.

Working in Des Moines, IA

Tourism, finance, insurance, and healthcare are the biggest employers in the area. The unemployment rate is 5.9%, which is about the same as the U.S. average rate of 6%. The median household income is $53,859 annually. The projected ten-year job growth rate is 37.4%, which is higher than the U.S. average of 33.5%. If you work in the city, your commute will average 18.3 minutes.

The local industry sectors that offer the most jobs are insurance/finance (11.7%), health services (9.1%), hotels/restaurants (8.6%), higher education (7.4%), construction (6.7%), administrative services/waste managing (5.3%), and professional, scientific, and tech jobs (4.8%).

Des Moines, IA Neighborhoods

The Des Moines downtown area is nicely renovated. Here are the most desirable neighborhoods where the prices of homes are the highest:

• Westwood and Linden Heights area: This neighborhood is full of attractive green spaces. To the south are Denman Woods and Ashworth Park. In the center, you find Greenwood Park with its lovely lake, an extraordinary feature. The homes in this area sell for the median price of $472,288. They cost more than the homes in 98.8% of the rest of Iowa. Most homes are owner-occupied. The luxury apartments available for rent are around $1,118 per month.
• Downtown: The median price for a home in downtown is $389,080. Most downtown homes are rental properties. The average rent is $1,281 for a nice apartment or condo in a high-rise building.
• Salisbury Oaks: You find this area on the west side of town. It is slightly north of the Water Works Park and the Des Moines River. Homes sell for a median price of $376,208. Rents are around $1,287 per month. Because the vacancy rate is very low at 4%, finding a place to rent may be difficult.

Des Moines, IA School District

The largest school district in Iowa is the Des Moines Independent Community School District, with about 4,000 employees and over 31,000 students. The district invests $15,000 in the education of each student per year. The student-to-teacher ratio is very good, at 14 to one.

You will find 11 private schools in the Des Moines area. The private schools for PK to 8th grade with the highest ratings are St. Augustin Catholic School, St. Anthony Elementary School, and St. Theresa Catholic School.

Des Moines has four private colleges that offer four-year programs: AIB College of Business, Drake University, Mercy College of Health Sciences, and Grand View University. There is one two-year college, which is Vatterott College.

Moving to Des Moines, IA

If you are moving to Des Moines, you will want to know how to turn on your utilities.

Here is some contact information to help you get started.

The city has a Public Works Department that provides tap water, sewer services, garbage collection, and recycling. Turn on your electricity and natural gas service with MidAmerican Energy. There are so many choices for telephone, TV, cable, satellite TV, and Internet connections. Some of the providers in the area are AT&T, Centurylink, Dish TV, Starlink, and Verizon.

More than 4,000 acres are supervised and managed by the Des Moines Parks and Recreation Department, with 76 beautiful and varied parks in all parts of the city.

The municipal government in Des Moines is led by the mayor with the help of the city council. Each of the four districts elects a city council member to represent them, and two more are called at-large council members to represent the entire community.

Des Moines, IA Housing

Recently, home prices in this area have increased about 4% each year. The median house price is $195,000. This amount is 30% below the cost of an average American home, making homes in this area a great value. Lower housing prices help keep the cost of living reasonable. The city has a cost of living rate of 4% lower than in other parts of Iowa and 15% less than the national average.