Neighborhood · Des Moines, IA

Capitol East Eviction Risk: Moderate

1 census tracts · pop 3,153 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 4.9/10 · range 4.9–4.9

Capitol East is a white-hispanic neighborhood in Des Moines with 1 census tract and a population of 3,153 residents. The neighborhood's pop-weighted eviction-risk score of 4.9/10 (Moderate tier) blends state law, county-level filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income ratios + poverty. 25% of renters here pay at least 30% of household income on rent, and 15% are severely cost-burdened (≥50% of income). Average gross rent of $1,086/month sits 0% lower than the Des Moines citywide average ($1,090).

Risk score

4.9

Moderate

1 tracts · population-weighted

Capitol East vs Des Moines How this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average

% of income on rent

24.9% -16%

Des Moines: 29.6%

Average gross rent

$1,086 0%

Des Moines: $1,090

Average HH income

$54,535 -15%

Des Moines: $63,966

Poverty rate

22.6% +52%

Des Moines: 14.9%

Renter share

65.4% +66%

Des Moines: 39.5%

Peer neighborhoods

Neighborhoods with similar eviction risk

Same county, closest by Eviction Risk Score.

Geographic context

Risk heat across Capitol East and the region

Click any tract to drill in · 1 tracts span score 4.9–4.9

Why Capitol East scores 4.9

9 axes · pop-weighted · 1 = landlord-friendly

State political climate

legislature & governorship · Range 2.3–2.3 across tracts

2.3

Regional political climate

County-level mix · 2024 presidential margin · Range 5.8–5.8 across tracts

5.8

Local political climate

Parent city governance · Range 4.5–4.5 across tracts

4.5

Rent control risk

25% of income on rent · Range 1.0–1.0 across tracts

1.0

Eviction process difficulty

State notice requirements & court backlog · Range 2.5–2.5 across tracts

2.5

Tenant organizing strength

65% renter households · Range 3.0–3.0 across tracts

3.0

Housing court bias

County bench composition · Range 2.5–2.5 across tracts

2.5

Economic stress

22.6% below poverty line · Range 5.7–5.7 across tracts

5.7

Supply constraint

Rent-to-FMR gap & zoning friction · Range 3.9–3.9 across tracts

3.9

Risk score comparison

Capitol East vs. parent city, state, U.S.

Eviction Risk Score (0–10 scale).

Census tracts

1 tracts in Capitol East

Ranked highest-risk first. Click for per-tract detail.

Tract↕	Score↕	Pop↕	% over 30% on rent↕	Average rent↕
19153005200	4.9	3,153	25%	$1,086

Social Vulnerability Index

CDC SVI percentile: 95

Pop-weighted across 1 tracts. Higher = more vulnerable to disaster, displacement, and rent shocks. Source: CDC/ATSDR SVI 2022.

Socioeconomic status 94%ile

Poverty, unemployment, no-HS-diploma, housing cost burden

Household characteristics 93%ile

Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+

Racial/ethnic minority 70%ile

Hispanic + non-white share of population

Housing & transport 83%ile

Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle

Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab

Court-record eviction history in Capitol East

Aggregated across 1 validated constituent tract. Filing rate is filings per 100 renter households, pop-weighted.

Historic baseline (2000–2018)

860Total filings (sum)
15.62%Avg annual filing rate
20.4%Peak year (2011)
18.86%Latest filed (2015)

CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted

Eviction-adjacent indicators in Capitol East

Average across all constituent tracts, population-weighted. Source: CDC PLACES (cwsq-ngmh) crude prevalence.

19.8%Housing insecurity
12.7%Utility shutoff threat
25.9%Food insecurity
22.2%SNAP enrollment
15.6%No health insurance
33.1%Any disability

Frequently asked

About Capitol East

What is the eviction-risk score for Capitol East?

Capitol East scores 4.9/10 (Moderate tier) across 1 census tracts. The pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score blends state law, county filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income and poverty signals.

How does Capitol East compare to Des Moines overall?

Capitol East scores 2.3 points higher than Des Moines overall (2.6/10). Renters spend 25% of income on rent vs 30% citywide. Average rent: $1,086 vs $1,090.

What is the average rent in Capitol East?

Average gross rent in Capitol East is $1,086/month (pop-weighted across 1 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 25% of renter households are cost-burdened.

What percentage of Capitol East residents are renters?

65% of Capitol East households are renter-occupied (vs 40% in Des Moines). The neighborhood has 3,153 residents.

Is Capitol East a high social-vulnerability area?

Capitol East sits in the 95th percentile nationally on the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (highly vulnerable). The index combines poverty, unemployment, household composition, racial/ethnic minority share, and housing/transportation factors across all US census tracts.

How safe is Capitol East for landlords?

Capitol East carries a moderate-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (4.9/10). Pop-weighted across 1 constituent tracts, the score blends parent-city rent-control posture, county eviction-process timelines, and tract-specific rent-to-income / poverty signals. Compared to Des Moines as a whole (2.6/10), this neighborhood is higher-risk.

What is the demographic breakdown of Capitol East?

Capitol East has 3,091 residents (White-Hispanic Neighborhood). Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (48.7%), Hispanic / Latino (31.1%), Black (non-Hispanic) (12.2%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.

Nearby

Other neighborhoods near Capitol East

3.9 Pioneer Park 2 tracts · pop 9,731 3.7 Accent 3 tracts · pop 8,879 4.2 Fairmont Park 2 tracts · pop 5,523 4.2 Highland Park 2 tracts · pop 9,488 4.2 Watrous South 3 tracts · pop 10,727 4.2 Drake 2 tracts · pop 8,362

Sibling neighborhoods

Other neighborhoods inside Des Moines

Same parent city, ranked by score similarity to Capitol East.

4.9 South Central DSM 1 tracts · pop 4,062 4.8 Martin Luther King Jr. Park 1 tracts · pop 2,486 4.7 Western Gateway 1 tracts · pop 6,728 4.7 Avon Lake 1 tracts · pop 4,379 5.3 River Bend 1 tracts · pop 1,686 4.5 Oak Park 1 tracts · pop 3,728

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