About Des Moines
The City of Des Moines is located in southwest King County, nearly halfway between the cities of Seattle and Tacoma. The population of Des Moines is approximately 32,000, comprised of 12,600 households. Des Moines is part of southwest King County, which has a population of 430,000 in 160,000 households.
The Seattle MSA has seen annual employment growth of 3% from 2014 to 2019, adding 40,000 to 50,000 jobs per year. Des Moines is located within 20 miles of the region’s top employment hubs, including downtown Seattle, downtown Bellevue, and downtown Tacoma. Employment hubs in southwest King County include the areas around SeaTac Airport (SeaTac), the Westfield Southcenter Mall (Tukwila), the Kent Valley (Kent), and the former Weyerhauser campus (Federal Way).
Total employment in Des Moines is approximately 6,300, and 203,000 in southwest King County. The median household income in Des Moines is $71,200, which is 4% above that of southwest King County.
With the addition of the new jobs attributable to the Des Moines Creek Business Park, a newly developed light industrial and office development located in the City, Des Moines is projected to have 11,700 workers, an 80% increase over 2010 estimates.
The Des Moines Marina is the only marina located between Seattle and Tacoma. It serves as a regional, national and international destination providing access to Puget Sound for boaters and visitors.
Downtown Des Moines
The parcel is within walking distance of Downtown Des Moines, which is located immediately inland to the east. The City plans to invest in a dramatic series of stairs, the Marina Steps, which would connect the Marina with Downtown. The development parcel is adjacent to the planned Marina Steps.
Downtown Des Moines is home to various commercial and residential uses, and is undergoing redevelopment on a number of prominent sites, including the renovation of the historic Des Moines Theater, additional housing/mixed use, as well as a major campus renovation ($250 million) of Wesley Des Moines, a nearby retirement community.
