Johnston, IA vs Des Moines, IA

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricJohnston, IADes Moines, IA
Population24,384212,421
Median Household Income$106,551$65,932
Median Rent$1,338/mo$1,090/mo
Median Home Value$369,100$194,700
Cost of Living (US = 100)9292
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income45.3%46.6%
Poverty Rate10.2%15%
Unemployment Rate3.1%4.2%
Violent Crime Rate /100k83642
Property Crime Rate /100k6762,838
Median AQI4444
Good AQI Days /yr224224
Summer Highs83°F84°F
Winter Lows16°F17°F
Snowfall38 in/yr37 in/yr
Avg Commute19.7 min19.5 min
Hospitals—4
Avg Hospital Rating—2.8 / 5
Students per Teacher1715.9
College Degree Rate57.8%29.7%
Foreign-Born %9.5%14.2%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+4.7%-0.9%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.