50310 and 50320 receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
50310
50320
Opportunity
74 · Top 14%
vs73 · Top 15%
Growth
51 · Top 48%
vs51 · Top 48%
Climate
59 · Bottom 10%
vs59 · Bottom 10%
Physical resilience
89 · Top 11%
vs86 · Top 15%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 9%
vs100 · Top 9%
Schools
18 · Bottom 8%
vs25 · Bottom 17%
Access
95 · Top 43%
vs97 · Top 32%
Economic stability
65 · Top 39%
vs71 · Top 28%
Measured values
| Metric | 50310 | 50320 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 31,177 | 24,807 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $76,381 | $85,105 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $39,191 | $36,496 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,880/sq mi | 1,477/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $222,700 | $216,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,113 | $1,166 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 69.6% | 73.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% | 3.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.3% | 0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 36.8% | 24.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 10.8% | 10.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 860 | 860 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.0 | 4.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -37.1% | -37.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 86°F | 86°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 14°F | 14°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 36.5" | 36.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 6 mi | 5 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.8 min | 23.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.1 | 34.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 2 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.60 | 14.36 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 43.5% | 45.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 44.4% | 45.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 78.0% | 84.8% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
50310
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, tornado.
50320
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, strong wind.
Full profiles: 50310 — Des Moines, IA · 50320 — Des Moines, IA · How this is calculated: methodology