Washington · West · 33k residents
Des Moines, WA: economy, jobs & business costs
The site-selection read on Des Moines: labor costs, talent, corporate tax, energy, and business activity, with the Washington median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
Average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,916/wk. Washington's corporate income tax rate is 0%. Commercial electricity averages 10.0¢/kWh.
Compare Des Moines side by side
Avg. weekly wage
$1,916/wk
Corporate income tax
0%
Bachelor's degree or higher
33.4%
Commercial electricity
10.0¢/kWh
Economic momentum
How fast Des Moines's economy is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
5/100
Cooling
Ranks Des Moines's residential building-permit growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. This is economic activity, not commercial lease rates or vacancy. Not investment or relocation advice.
| ACS median home value | $597,000 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $350 |
| Property tax rate | 0.87% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $1,618/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,830/mo |
| State & local income tax | 0% |
| Sales tax | 9.4% |
| Corporate income tax | 0% |
| Avg. weekly wage | $1,916/wk |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 33.4% |
| Commercial electricity | 10.0¢/kWh |
| Businesses per 1k residents | — |
| Wage: Software developer | $166,540 |
| Wage: Registered nurse | $124,200 |
| Wage: General manager | $133,750 |
| Wage: Customer service | $50,330 |
| Wage: Warehouse worker | $44,620 |
| Wage: Heavy truck driver | $64,760 |
| Wage: Electrician | $95,220 |
| Wage: Retail salesperson | $39,560 |
| Cost of living index | 124 |
| Groceries index | 106 |
| Utilities | $155/mo |
| Transit pass | $99/mo |
| Gas price | $4.10/gal |
| Healthcare index | 104 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,500/mo |
| Median household income | $92,483 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% |
| Population | 33k |
| Crime index | 50/100 |
| School rating | 6.5/10 |
| Walkability | 30/100 |
| Disaster risk | — |
| Avg. commute | 28 min |
| Sunny days / year | 155 days |
| July high | 77°F |
| January low | 38°F |
| Annual snowfall | 6 in |
| Home price YoY | -1.4% |
| Home price MoM | -0.7% |
| Rent YoY | +2.0% |
| Rent MoM | -0.8% |
| Employment (jobs) YoY | — |
| Building permits YoY | -72.7% |
| Ocean coast | 10 mi |
| Big lake | 258 mi |
| Mountains | 46 mi |
| Major airport | 4 mi |
| Ski resort | 42 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- SeaTac, WA · 32k
- Lakeland North, WA · 16k
- Federal Way, WA · 99k
- Auburn, WA · 86k
- Burien, WA · 52k
Similar size
- Pullman, WA · 32k
- Walla Walla, WA · 34k
- Spanaway, WA · 34k
- University Place, WA · 35k
- Graham, WA · 35k
Real listings in Des Moines
LoopNet ↗Crexi ↗CommercialCafe ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- Is Des Moines a good place to run a business?
- Washington's corporate income tax rate is 0%; average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,916/wk; commercial electricity averages 10.0¢/kWh. Weigh these against your own priorities in the business comparison tool.
- What is the cost of living in Des Moines, WA?
- Des Moines indexes at 124 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,830/mo and a acs median home value of $597,000.
- How much does a house cost in Des Moines?
- The acs median home value in Des Moines is $597,000 (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Des Moines?
- A two-bedroom in Des Moines rents for about $1,830/mo.