City Score: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA

Metro area. The Joy Project City Score for Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA: the condition of its cities from public data and how the church is moving across them, with every source.

The score

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA scores 55 out of 100 on the Joy Project City Score, status Liberty since Oct 2026. Condition 55 (the city from public data, 60%) and Movement (how the church is moving, 40%). How the score is built.

The condition of Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA

  • What Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA is up against: 33 out of 100 — Better than 83% of cbsas, down 3 points
  • Where grace is growing: 24 out of 100 — Better than 34% of cbsas
  • Marriage & family: 71 out of 100 — Better than 81% of cbsas
  • Christian liberty: 59 out of 100 — Better than 56% of cbsas, up 2 points

What takes Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA to Revival

  • City Pulse: City Pulse 0 → 40
  • Prayer: Prayer 0 → 45
  • Discipleship: Discipleship 0 → 45
  • Unity: Unity 0 → 45

What affected it

  • This quarter: Cohabiting households up 17 percentile points (Marriage & family)
  • This quarter: Marriages down 10 percentile points (Marriage & family)
  • This quarter: Drug overdose deaths down 8 percentile points (What Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA is up against)

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA over time

  • — Entered Liberty

Sources

  1. Violent crime: FBI Crime Data Explorer · 2025 · Iowa · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  2. Property crime: FBI Crime Data Explorer · 2025 · Iowa · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  3. Sexually transmitted infections: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  4. Drug overdose deaths: CDC NCHS, provisional county drug overdose deaths (VSRR) · 2025 · Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA (2 counties summed) · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  5. Adult entertainment outlets: OpenStreetMap outlet counts (Metro pulse, metro_reformation_stats) · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  6. Gambling outlets: OpenStreetMap outlet counts (Metro pulse, metro_reformation_stats) · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  7. Cannabis outlets: OpenStreetMap outlet counts (Metro pulse, metro_reformation_stats) · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  8. Liquor outlets and bars: OpenStreetMap outlet counts (Metro pulse, metro_reformation_stats) · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  9. Predatory lenders: OpenStreetMap outlet counts (Metro pulse, metro_reformation_stats) · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  10. Abortion facilities (mapped): OpenStreetMap outlet counts (Metro pulse, metro_reformation_stats) · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  11. Church adherents: 2020 U.S. Religion Census · 2020 · Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  12. Congregations: 2020 U.S. Religion Census · 2020 · Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  13. Charitable giving: IRS Statistics of Income, county data · 2023 · Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA (6 counties summed) · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  14. Given to local needs in Joy: Verified in Joy (the impact ledger) · 2026-09 · Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA (3 counties summed) · fetched Oct 29, 2026 · verified in Joy
  15. Needs met in Joy: Verified in Joy (the impact ledger) · 2026-09 · Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA (3 counties summed) · fetched Oct 29, 2026 · verified in Joy
  16. Volunteers mobilized in Joy: Verified in Joy (the impact ledger) · 2026-09 · Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA (3 counties summed) · fetched Oct 29, 2026 · verified in Joy
  17. New believers in Joy: Verified in Joy (the impact ledger) · 2026-09 · Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA (3 counties summed) · fetched Oct 29, 2026 · verified in Joy
  18. Searches for a church in Joy: Verified in Joy (the impact ledger) · 2026-09 · Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA (3 counties summed) · fetched Oct 29, 2026 · verified in Joy
  19. Foster and adoptive families in the churches: Church workspace entries (church-attested) · 2026-10 · Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA (3 counties summed) · fetched Oct 29, 2026 · verified in Joy
  20. Children with married parents: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year · 2020-2024 · Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA (6 counties summed) · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  21. Adults 25-44 married: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year · 2020-2024 · Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA (6 counties summed) · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  22. Cohabiting households: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year · 2020-2024 · Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA (6 counties summed) · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  23. Divorces: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year · 2020-2024 · Iowa · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  24. Marriages: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year · 2020-2024 · Iowa · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  25. Births to unmarried mothers: CDC WONDER · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  26. Religious Liberty in the States score: Religious Liberty in the States · 2026 · Iowa · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  27. Safeguards fully in law: Religious Liberty in the States · 2026 · Iowa · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  28. State Religious Freedom Restoration Act: Religious Liberty in the States · 2026 · Iowa · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  29. Anti-Christian hate crimes: FBI Crime Data Explorer · 2025 · Iowa · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  30. School choice: The Liberty register (config/conditions/liberty_laws.yml) · 2026 · Iowa · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  31. Protections for the unborn: The Liberty register (config/conditions/liberty_laws.yml) · 2026 · Iowa · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  32. Homeschool freedom: The Liberty register (config/conditions/liberty_laws.yml) · 2026 · Iowa · fetched Oct 29, 2026

Its cities by status

  • 59 cities in Liberty

Highest City Scores in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA

  1. Adel, IA — 64, Liberty
  2. Dexter, IA — 61, Liberty
  3. Linden, IA — 61, Liberty
  4. Minburn, IA — 61, Liberty
  5. Redfield, IA — 61, Liberty
  6. Van Meter, IA — 61, Liberty
  7. Granger, IA — 59, Liberty
  8. Johnston, IA — 59, Liberty
  9. Polk City, IA — 59, Liberty
  10. Adair, IA — 58, Liberty
  11. Bayard, IA — 58, Liberty
  12. Dallas Center, IA — 58, Liberty
  13. Guthrie Center, IA — 58, Liberty
  14. Jamaica, IA — 58, Liberty
  15. Menlo, IA — 58, Liberty
  16. North Branch, IA — 58, Liberty
  17. Panora, IA — 58, Liberty
  18. Waukee, IA — 58, Liberty
  19. Yale, IA — 58, Liberty
  20. Clive, IA — 57, Liberty
  21. Cumming, IA — 56, Liberty
  22. Earlham, IA — 56, Liberty
  23. Grimes, IA — 56, Liberty
  24. Lorimor, IA — 56, Liberty
  25. Pitzer, IA — 56, Liberty

Quote it

Cite it as: Joy Project City Score v1.0, Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, 2026-Q4, joyproject.com/metros/des-moines-west-des-moines-ia. Methodology.

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