Located near the center of Iowa, the City of Des Moines is the political, economic, and cultural capital of the state. The city is a center of insurance, government, medical, printing, finance, publishing, and retail/wholesale trade, as well as industry, providing a diverse economic base. With a population of 456,000 metropolitan Des Moines provides the advantages of a big city with the atmosphere of a small town. Business activity in downtown Des Moines continues to grow.
The 65,000 + people working downtown make the area one of the highest per capita downtown concentrations in the nation.
Demographics:
Land area of City of Des Moines: 78.1 square miles
Land area of Des Moines MSA: 2,301 square miles
Des Moines MSA person per capita income (1999): $31,118
State of Iowa per capita income (1999): $25,598
Population of City of Des Moines (2000): 198,682
Population of 9 metro counties (2000): 684,822
Economic Base:
Labor Force: 256,700
Employed: 251,700
Unemployed: 5,100
Unemployment rate: 2.0 percent
(Source: Iowa Workforce Development)
Trade Area:
800,000 + people live within a one hour drive of Des Moines.
Major Industries:
Major industries include financial services, insurance, government, manufacturing, trade and service.
Skywalks
Des Moines is the City of Skywalks. The Corridor snakes through the central business district, connecting almost all of the major employers. There are currently 38 blocks connected by over 3.2 miles of skywalks. The climate-controlled environment is a popular choice for navigating the downtown. Retail and service establishments have responded and are clustered along the corridors.