Life Skills and Money Education in Des Moines, IA
With a population of roughly 213,096, Des Moines, Iowa is the largest of 940 incorporated places in Iowa. The population has barely moved since 2020 — a change of under one percent over four years. The median age is 34.6.
Among adults 25 and older in Des Moines, 29% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. That runs 10.9 points above the Iowa average of 18.1%. Flip that figure and it describes 71% of the 140,840 adults 25 and over counted in the 2019–2023 ACS, about 99,996 people whose money skills came from somewhere other than a university.
Median household income is $63,966. About 14.9% of residents live below the poverty line. The median home is valued at $183,700, roughly 2.9× median household income.
Des Moines by the numbers
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Population (2024) | 213,096 |
| Change since 2020 | -0.3% |
| Median household income | $63,966 |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor’s degree | 29% |
| Adults 25+ with a high school diploma | 87.3% |
| Median age | 34.6 |
| Poverty rate | 14.9% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.7% |
| Median home value | $183,700 |
| Land area | 88.16 sq mi |
| Population density | 2,417 / sq mi |
What Iowa teaches — and to whom
Iowa already requires 1 semester of personal finance for a high school diploma, a rule in force since the graduating class of 2023. That covers students still in the system. It does nothing for the adults already out of it — which, in Des Moines, is most of the people reading this.
LearnLife organises this the way the decisions actually arrive: Emotional regulation — the self-management that decides whether the other skills ever get used; Money — budgeting, credit, debt and taxes — the mechanics nobody is formally taught; Legal literacy — leases, contracts, employment rights and what a signature actually commits you to.
Where to start in Des Moines
Start with the money that moves every month
For most households in Des Moines, the fastest gain is not an investing strategy — it is seeing the recurring outflows clearly, knowing what a credit score actually responds to, and understanding which line items on a payslip are negotiable.
Questions people ask about Des Moines
Do high school students in Des Moines, Iowa have to take a personal finance class?
Yes. Iowa requires 1 semester to graduate, in force since the class of 2023.
How many adults in Des Moines, Iowa have a college degree?
29% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, based on the Census Bureau's 2019–2023 American Community Survey. The remaining 71% are managing their finances without one.
What is the median household income in Des Moines, Iowa?
$63,966, per the Census Bureau's 2019–2023 American Community Survey.
Where can adults in Des Moines, Iowa learn personal finance?
Graduation requirements only ever reach people still in school. For adults, LearnLife covers the same ground on demand — money, legal literacy and the self-management that decides whether either gets used.
Start with whichever one is costing you money right now.
Browse the LearnLife catalogNearby in Iowa
- Cedar Rapids
- Davenport
- Sioux City
- Ankeny
- Iowa City
- West Des Moines
- Ames
- Waterloo
- Council Bluffs
- Dubuque
- Urbandale
- Marion