Des Moines, IA vs Dover, DE

Side-by-side comparison of housing, income, commute, safety, and quality of life.

Score Snapshot

No universal winner

Scores summarize the published model. Use the objective metric differences below and your own priorities to choose.

Des Moines

80.8

#61 nationally

Dover

64.9

#1664 nationally

Des Moines leads in walk score (45 vs 33). Des Moines leads in average commute (19.2 min vs 22.8 min). Des Moines leads in cost of living index (88 vs 101).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Des Moines, IA	Dover, DE
WhereAtHome Score	80.8 (#61)	64.9 (#1664)
Population	214,133	39,894
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$212,006	$345,464
Median Household Income	$60,509	$54,438
Average Commute	19.2 min	22.8 min
Walk Score	45	33
Crime Level	Moderate	27.7
School Rating	7.2	N/A
Cost of Living Index	88	101
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+10.9	D+2.0