Iowa, IA vs West Des Moines, IA: Crime Rate Comparison (2025)
A side-by-side look at reported crime in Iowa and West Des Moines, on the FBI-based Crime Index (0–100, higher = safer) for 2025.
West Des Moines is the safer city
West Des Moines scores 82/100 (grade B) versus 75/100 (grade B) for Iowa — a 7-point gap. Iowa's violent-crime rate is 1.8× West Des Moines. Across the 8 offense categories, West Des Moines has the lower rate in 7.
Iowa, IA
Crime Index
- Population
- 77,166
- Violent / 100k
- 255
- Property / 100k
- 1,604
- In Iowa
- #4 of 11
West Des Moines, IA
SaferCrime Index
- Population
- 74,901
- Violent / 100k
- 146
- Property / 100k
- 1,527
- In Iowa
- #3 of 11
Crime rates head-to-head
| Metric | Iowa | West Des Moines | US average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Index (higher = safer) | 75B | 82B | 73C |
| Violent crime /100k | 255 | 146 | 315 |
| Property crime /100k | 1,604 | 1,527 | 1,487 |
| Homicide /100k | 2.6 | 0 | 4.1 |
| Total reported /100k | 1,860 | 1,673 | 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 | Iowa | West Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Homicide | 2.6 | 0 |
| Rape | 38.9 | 20 |
| Robbery | 29.8 | 6.7 |
| Aggravated assault | 184 | 119 |
| Burglary | 163 | 131 |
| Larceny-theft | 1,326 | 1,282 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 115 | 112 |
| Arson | 0 | 2.7 |
Crime trends
Iowa
West Des Moines
Frequently asked questions
Is Iowa or West Des Moines safer?
Which has more violent crime, Iowa or West Des Moines?
What are the odds of violent crime in Iowa vs West Des Moines?
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 Iowa & West Des Moines
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