Housing in Drake at a glance
- Population
- about 10,268
- Housing units
- about 4,416
- Median value, owner-occupied homes
- $205,000Des Moines: $194,700 (+5%)
- Median gross rent
- $1,010 a monthDes Moines: $1,090 (-7%)
- Owner-occupied homes
- 42.9%Des Moines: 60.5%
- Homes built before 1980
- 82.2%
- Median year built
- 1939 or earlier
Drake is a renter-leaning sector near the centre of Des Moines, with an owner share of 42.9% that ranks ninth of the ten sectors. Its neighbours tilt the other way: Merle Hay reaches 72.4% and Beaverdale 72.1%, while Downtown Des Moines drops to 9.2%. Homes carry a median value of $205,000, fifth of ten and 5% over the city's $194,700. Beaverdale is valued higher, $243,000, Merle Hay lower, $197,000, and Downtown Des Moines far higher, $318,000. Renters pay $1,010, eighth-highest of ten, against $1,300 in Merle Hay and $1,240 downtown. The housing is old, since the typical home dates from 1939 or earlier and 82.2% of the stock was built before 1980, fifth-highest of ten. With 2,297 renting households, rental homes are the larger group, which is why the owner share stays low. Its 4,416 homes hold 10,268 residents, and 1,723 households own. The pre-1980 share stays below Merle Hay's 92.5%. Beaverdale has 81.3% pre-1980 homes.
Questions about Drake
What is the median home value in Drake, Des Moines?
$205,000 for owner-occupied homes, against $194,700 for Des Moines as a whole (Payotte estimate from Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year data for the census tracts within the official boundary). It is the owners' own estimate of their home's value, not a sale price.
What is the median rent in Drake?
$1,010 a month in gross rent (rent plus utilities paid by the renter), against $1,090 in Des Moines (Payotte estimate from Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year data for the census tracts within the official boundary).
Do most people in Drake own or rent?
Most rent: 42.9% of occupied homes are owner-occupied, against 60.5% in Des Moines (Payotte estimate from Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year data for the census tracts within the official boundary).
Data and method
Data as of: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (retrieved 2026-11-02).
Estimate from the 3 census tracts whose internal point lies within the official boundary: counts are summed, and each median is recomputed from the summed value, rent and year-built brackets (grouped median, linear interpolation). The gap with the city is measured with the same method on the whole city.
Drake is one of the 10 most populous of 51 neighborhoods of Des Moines: estimated population about 10,268 (Payotte estimate: Census ACS 2020-2024 populations of the census tracts whose internal point lies inside the boundary; boundaries from City of Des Moines GIS, Neighborhoods, consulted 2026-11-02).
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, tables B01003, B25001, B25003, B25034, B25063, B25064, B25075, B25077; U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer files (census tract internal points). City figures: the same survey, published for Des Moines as a whole. Home values are owners' estimates, not sale prices.
Near Drake
The closest sectors of Des Moines, by distance between population centres.
Other sectors of Des Moines
Five trades, one spot each
Payotte lists one professional per trade in Drake. No one is listed yet: every spot is open.
- Real estate agentOpen spot
- Mortgage loan officerOpen spot
- Home inspectorOpen spot
- Real estate attorneyOpen spot
- AppraiserOpen spot
Work in one of these trades in Drake? Ask for your spot.