Des Moines, IA vs Waterloo, IA: Crime Rate Comparison (2025)
A side-by-side look at reported crime in Des Moines and Waterloo, on the FBI-based Crime Index (0–100, higher = safer) for 2025.
Waterloo is the safer city
Waterloo scores 56/100 (grade D) versus 47/100 (grade D) for Des Moines — a 9-point gap. Des Moines's violent-crime rate is +36% vs Waterloo. Across the 8 offense categories, Waterloo has the lower rate in 5.
Des Moines, IA
Crime Index
- Population
- 212,933
- Violent / 100k
- 642
- Property / 100k
- 2,830
- In Iowa
- #10 of 11
Waterloo, IA
SaferCrime Index
- Population
- 67,531
- Violent / 100k
- 472
- Property / 100k
- 2,566
- In Iowa
- #8 of 11
Crime rates head-to-head
| Metric | Des Moines | Waterloo | US average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Index (higher = safer) | 47D | 56D | 73C |
| Violent crime /100k | 642 | 472 | 315 |
| Property crime /100k | 2,830 | 2,566 | 1,487 |
| Homicide /100k | 1.4 | 7.4 | 4.1 |
| Total reported /100k | 3,472 | 3,039 | 1,802 |
Grade shown per index band (88–100 = A … 0–29 = F). Rates are reported offenses per 100,000 residents.
By offense
Rate per 100,000 residents — the lower (safer) city is highlighted.
| Offense | Des Moines | Waterloo |
|---|---|---|
| Homicide | 1.4 | 7.4 |
| Rape | 47.4 | 38.5 |
| Robbery | 64.8 | 34.1 |
| Aggravated assault | 528 | 392 |
| Burglary | 387 | 443 |
| Larceny-theft | 1,995 | 1,790 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 436 | 309 |
| Arson | 10.8 | 23.7 |
Crime trends
Des Moines
Waterloo
Frequently asked questions
Is Des Moines or Waterloo safer?
Which has more violent crime, Des Moines or Waterloo?
What are the odds of violent crime in Des Moines vs Waterloo?
No area has zero risk
A high Crime Index score means lower reported crime relative to other US cities — it is not a guarantee of safety. Reported crime is not the same as actual crime. Research on the gap between crime that occurs and crime that gets reported to police — often called the "dark figure" of crime — estimates that roughly 40% of violent crime and about a third of property crime go unreported each year. Every index built on official statistics, including this one, necessarily undercounts real crime. That gap is exactly why homicide — the offense with the smallest dark figure — anchors the calculation instead of a more commonly reported but less reliable category like theft.
Scores on this page reflect FBI-reported data for 2025. See the full methodology →
Protecting yourself in Des Moines & Waterloo
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