Fort Des Moines Provisional Army Officer Training School · Photo: Larry Day, Photographer · Public domainLiving in Des Moines, IA: what to set up and who to call
Des Moines spans 12 ZIP codes; 50315 holds the most residents (17%). The closest ER is Unitypoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medi, 1.7 miles away.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Des Moines, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.
Power, water and internet
Who to call to start service at a new address in Des Moines.
Power comes from MidAmerican Energy
MidAmerican Energy (MidAmerican Energy Co), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Des Moines. Its homes paid an average of 11.2¢ per kWh in 2025, about $93 a month (its average across Iowa).
Start or move service: midamericanenergy.com · (888) 427-5632
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Des Moines Water Works
Des Moines Water Works supplies almost all of Des Moines. It buys treated surface water (EPA lists Ciww (Dmww) as seller) and serves 246,055 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 86% of the 332 systems serving 100,001–250,000 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2022–Dec 2024, was 0.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. Results below detection are reported as 0, so 0 doesn’t mean no lead at any tap.
The system’s full record: EPA ECHO report
EPA SDWIS via Envirofacts (violations pulled Oct 9, 2026) and ECHO (lead samples, 2026Q3); service area: EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3.0. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. IA7727031.
9 home internet providers serve Des Moines
100% of 68,594 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 90% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mediacom Xtream | Cable, Fiber | 100% | 2,000/1,000 |
| Metronet | Fiber | 84% | 5,120/5,120 |
| Google Fiber | Fiber | 57% | 8,000/8,000 |
| Quantum Fiber | Fiber | 44% | 8,000/8,000 |
| CenturyLink | DSL, Fiber | 39% | 940/200 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 68% | 1,000/75 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Des Moines’ trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Des Moines.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Most of Des Moines (85%) is in Des Moines Independent Community School District; parts are in Carlisle Community School District (7%) and Southeast Polk Community School District (4%).
D−School gradeSee Schools →U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.
Town hall and registering to vote
Who to call, and how to register.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Sep 2026; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Des Moines spans 12 ZIP codes
ZIP codes where Des Moines residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Des Moines | ZIP’s residents in Des Moines |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50315 | Des Moines, IA | 17% | 100% |
| 50317 | Des Moines, IA | 16% | 92% |
| 50310 | Des Moines, IA | 14% | 98% |
| 50320 | Des Moines, IA | 10% | 93% |
| 50316 | Des Moines, IA | 8% | 100% |
| 50312 | Des Moines, IA | 7% | 100% |
| 50311 | Des Moines, IA | 7% | 100% |
| 50313 | Des Moines, IA | 6% | 68% |
| 50314 | Des Moines, IA | 5% | 100% |
| 50309 | Des Moines, IA | 4% | 100% |
| 50321 | Des Moines, IA | 4% | 100% |
| 50322 | Urbandale, IA | 1% | 9% |
A few homes fall in 50047, 50211, 50009. 50301, 50302, 50303, 50304, 50305, 50306, 50307, 50308, 50318, 50319, 50328, 50329, 50330, 50331, 50332, 50333, 50334, 50335, 50336, 50339, 50340, 50359, 50360, 50361, 50362, 50363, 50364, 50367, 50368, 50369, 50380, 50381, 50391, 50392, 50393, 50394, 50395, 50396, 50936, 50940, 50947, 50950, 50980, 50981, 50982, 50983 are P.O. box or single-organization ZIPs with no homes.
Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.
Getting around, the ER and the library
One line each; the subject pages have the rest.
ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.
Questions about living in Des Moines
Who supplies Des Moines’ drinking water, and has it had violations?
Des Moines Water Works (EPA ID IA7727031). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 86% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 0.0 ppb (Jan 2022–Dec 2024), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Des Moines?
MidAmerican Energy (MidAmerican Energy Co), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 11.2¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Des Moines?
Mediacom Xtream, Metronet, Google Fiber, Quantum Fiber, CenturyLink, Verizon (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Des Moines?
50315 (17%), 50317 (16%), 50310 (14%), 50320 (10%), 50316 (8%), 50312 (7%), 50311 (7%), 50313 (6%), 50314 (5%), 50309 (4%), 50321 (4%), 50322 (1%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Des Moines in?
Des Moines Independent Community School District. Parts of the city are in Carlisle Community School District and Southeast Polk Community School District.
How do I register to vote in Des Moines?
In Iowa you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before). Elections here are run by the Polk County Auditor. Check your registration at sos.iowa.gov.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- Water: EPA SDWIS (Envirofacts, pulled Oct 9, 2026), ECHO SDWA 2026Q3, EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3.0.
- Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
- Trash: OpenStreetMap, Geofabrik extract of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
- ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
- Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
- Registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
- Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
- Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.