Housing in Indianola Hills at a glance
- Population
- about 8,125
- Housing units
- about 3,577
- Median value, owner-occupied homes
- $171,000Des Moines: $194,700 (-12%)
- Median gross rent
- $980 a monthDes Moines: $1,090 (-10%)
- Owner-occupied homes
- 72.4%Des Moines: 60.5%
- Homes built before 1980
- 86.6%
- Median year built
- 1959
Indianola Hills, south-east of the centre of Des Moines, pairs a high owner share of 72.4% with lower prices: homes are valued at $171,000, a city-wide $194,700 less 12%, and rent is $980, ninth-highest of ten. Older housing dominates, with 86.6% built before 1980, third-highest of the ten, and a mid-point construction year of 1959. Among its neighbours, South Central DSM has $168,000 values and a 53.7% owner share, Watrous South reaches $203,000 and 69.4%, and Easter Lake Area has $240,000 and 73.9%. Ownership here ranks fourth of ten and value ranks eighth. Easter Lake Area is the contrast on age, with only 21.2% of homes from before 1980, while Watrous South at 84.6% looks much like Indianola Hills. Rent of $980 falls between South Central DSM ($900) and Watrous South ($1,100). Its 3,577 homes house 8,125 residents, and 2,400 owning households contrast with 913 renting ones. Only Easter Lake Area among the neighbours exceeds Watrous South on value. South Central DSM is lowest on rent.
Questions about Indianola Hills
What is the median home value in Indianola Hills, Des Moines?
$171,000 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 Indianola Hills?
$980 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 Indianola Hills own or rent?
Most own: 72.4% 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 2 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.
Indianola Hills is one of the 10 most populous of 51 neighborhoods of Des Moines: estimated population about 8,125 (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 Indianola Hills
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 Indianola Hills. 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 Indianola Hills? Ask for your spot.