Housing in South Central DSM at a glance
- Population
- about 9,083
- Housing units
- about 4,446
- Median value, owner-occupied homes
- $168,000Des Moines: $194,700 (-14%)
- Median gross rent
- $900 a monthDes Moines: $1,090 (-17%)
- Owner-occupied homes
- 53.7%Des Moines: 60.5%
- Homes built before 1980
- 70.7%
- Median year built
- 1970
Lying south of the population centre, South Central DSM posts the lowest rent among the sectors in the ranking, $900, 17% under Des Moines's rent of $1,090. Home values are also low: $168,000, ninth of ten. Its neighbours sit higher on both measures: Watrous South ($203,000 and $1,100), Indianola Hills ($171,000 and $980) and Easter Lake Area ($240,000 and $1,210). The owner share is 53.7%, eighth-highest of ten, noticeably lower than in Watrous South (69.4%) or Easter Lake Area (73.9%). The stock is older, with 70.7% built before 1980, eighth-highest of ten, and the typical home going up in 1970. Renters number 1,907 households against 2,211 owners, so the sector is more balanced than the nearby ones, where owners clearly lead. The sector counts 9,083 residents and 4,446 homes. Easter Lake Area, the highest in ownership, has 21.2% pre-1980 homes against 70.7% here. Indianola Hills has the closest rent, $980, though still above $900. Rent is therefore the standout figure. Easter Lake Area is the newest in the group.
Questions about South Central DSM
What is the median home value in South Central DSM, Des Moines?
$168,000 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 South Central DSM?
$900 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 South Central DSM own or rent?
Most own: 53.7% 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.
South Central DSM is one of the 10 most populous of 51 neighborhoods of Des Moines: estimated population about 9,083 (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 South Central DSM
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 South Central DSM. 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 South Central DSM? Ask for your spot.