Des Moines, IA
2019 ParkScore® ranking: #39
Our analysis is based on four characteristics of an effective park system:
access, investment, acreage, and amenities.
access, investment, acreage, and amenities.
How we calculated Des Moines’s ParkScore rating:
Access
55 out of 100
Acreage
82.5 out of 100
Investment
35 out of 100
Amenities
50 out of 100
Everyone deserves a park within a 10-minute walk of home.
Is Des Moines meeting that goal?
69%
of residents live within a 10 minute walk of a park.
National average 54%
Percent of residents within a
10-minute walk of a park by age
10-minute walk of a park by age
Children (0 - 19)
Adults (20 - 64)
Seniors (65+)
Percent of residents within a
10-minute walk of a park by income
10-minute walk of a park by income
Percent of residents within a 10-minute walk of a park by race/ethnicity
12%
of Des Moines's city land is used for parks and recreation.
National median 15%
Where in Des Moines are parks needed most?
Des Moines has 153 parks
We’ve mapped park access in 14,000 cities and towns across the country. Our free mapping platform helps you pinpoint where to focus park investments in your city.
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Des Moines Park Amenities Compared to the 100 Largest U.S. Cities
Basketball Hoops
43 rd percentile
2.7 per 10,000 people
Dog Parks
63 rd percentile
1.3 per 100,000 people
Playgrounds
54 th percentile
2.6 per 10,000 people
Bathrooms
58 th percentile
2 per 10,000 people
Recreation and Senior Centers
4 th percentile
0.2 per 20,000 people
Splashpads
94 th percentile
6.6 per 100,000 people
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Mayor Frank Cownie has pledged to adopt long-term, system-wide strategies to make sure every Des Moines resident has access to all the benefits parks provide.
"I have endorsed the vision that everyone deserves a park or open space within a 10-minute walk of home." — Mayor Cownie
Learn about the 10-Minute Walk campaign
