Des Moines, IA Home Values (2026)
In the Des Moines real estate market, the median home is worth about $234,000 (~$208/sq ft) — 19% more affordable than the typical U.S. home. Below: average prices by home size, what it costs to live here, and a free estimator for your own address.
Thinking of moving to Des Moines?
Here’s what the numbers say about housing costs in Des Moines. A typical home runs about $234,000, which is 19% more affordable than the national median and 13% more expensive than the Iowa average. At roughly $208 per square foot, a median budget here buys you around 1,130 sq ft of home.
Prices swing a lot by neighborhood: across Des Moines’s 11 ZIP codes, the most affordable is 50316 (~$166,000) and the priciest is 50321 (~$358,000) — roughly a 2.2× difference. If you’re relocating, that spread is where the real budgeting happens, so it pays to target ZIP by ZIP rather than the citywide average.
Des Moines home value by size
Using the local rate of about $208 per square foot, here’s a rough estimate by home size. Condition, lot, and exact location move these meaningfully.
| Home size | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| 1,000 sq ft | $208,000 |
| 1,500 sq ft | $312,000 |
| 2,000 sq ft | $416,000 |
| 2,500 sq ft | $520,000 |
| 3,000 sq ft | $624,000 |
Living in Des Moines: what to know before you move
Home prices tell you what it costs to buy in Des Moines, but daily life depends on much more. On housing alone, a typical home here runs $234,000 (~$208/sq ft), 19% more affordable than the national median — making Des Moines about average to buy in. That’s usually the biggest line in a household budget, but it’s only part of the picture. Here’s where to research the things home values don’t capture:
- Schools. School quality varies widely by neighborhood and shapes both family life and resale value. Check Des Moines school ratings and attendance zones on GreatSchools.
- Cost of living. Beyond the mortgage, weigh groceries, utilities, healthcare, and local taxes. Compare Des Moines’s cost of living.
- Safety. Crime and safety differ block to block, so check local data before settling on an area. Review Des Moines crime and safety stats.
- The bigger picture. For history, economy, climate, and local context, read about Des Moines on Wikipedia.
We specialize in housing data; the links above go to independent sources so you can verify schools, safety, and cost of living for yourself — the details that matter most when you’re choosing where to live.
Estimate your specific home in Des Moines
Enter your ZIP and size for an instant estimate tailored to your exact area:
Des Moines home prices: frequently asked
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Grow your home’s value in Des Moines
Use our Increase Home Value calculator to see which improvements add the most, or read the pre-sale projects that actually pay off. See how Des Moines stacks up against other Iowa cities on the Iowa home values page, or browse the full U.S. directory.
Directional estimates from public market data (Realtor.com & Zillow research), not appraisals. Actual values vary by home and change over time.
Nearby cities
Home prices in cities near Des Moines: