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Senior Living in Des Moines, IA: Every Licensed Community & 2026 Costs

Data updated November 2026·State licensing records andRatings from CMS Care Compare

Senior living in Des Moines, Iowa spans 70 state-licensed assisted living, memory care, and independent living communities and 53 Medicare-certified nursing homes across Polk, Dallas, Warren, Jasper, Madison, and Guthrie counties in Iowa. 15 area nursing homes hold a 5-star CMS rating. Lilisity publishes no score or ranking for any community that has not earned an award; the licensing and CMS data below are public records.

Free family guideWhat care costs and how families pay

All senior living in Des Moines: 70 licensed communities by county

Every assisted living, memory care, and independent living community licensed by the state in Polk, Dallas, Warren, Jasper, Madison, and Guthrie counties in Iowa, from state licensing records. Listing here is not a rating: Lilisity publishes no score for any community that has not earned an award. Communities marked verified testimonials have phone-verified resident and family interviews on file.

Also listed from public records: 6 independent living, life plan or 55+ communities and 36 income-restricted senior apartment buildings. Independent living is not licensed by the state, so they are listed apart on each county page.

Polk County, IA 47 communities

Dallas County, IA 11 communities

Warren County, IA 7 communities

Guthrie County, IA 3 communities

Jasper County, IA 2 communities

  • Newton VillageNewton, IA · Assisted Living · Memory Care
  • Park CentreNewton, IA · Independent Living · Assisted Living · Continuing Care

How much does senior living cost in Des Moines?

Assisted living in the Des Moines area typically runs $4,500–$6,500 per month, with memory care $1,000–$1,500 above that and independent living below it; skilled nursing is billed through Medicare, Medicaid, or private pay rather than monthly rent. Rates vary widely by apartment size and care level, so ask for the community’s current rate sheet.

Care typeTypical Des Moines rangeWhat it covers
Independent living$3,000 – $4,500Private apartment or cottage, meals and services optional
Assisted living$4,500 – $6,500Daily personal care, meals, medication management
Memory care$5,500 – $8,000Secured neighborhood, dementia-trained staff
Skilled nursingPayer-based24/7 medical care; Medicare/Medicaid/private pay

Ranges reflect operator-published market rates for the region, November 2026. Iowa’s Medicaid waiver programs and VA Aid & Attendance can offset costs — see the FAQ below.

What are the highest-rated nursing homes in Des Moines?

15 of the 53 Medicare-certified nursing homes in the Des Moines metro hold the highest possible 5-star overall rating from CMS — including Wesley on Grand in Des Moines. Every facility below links to its full inspection history, staffing hours, and deficiency record.

Facility ↕Location ↕CMS rating ↕Beds ↕Operator ↕
Wesley on GrandDes Moines, IA★★★★★ 5/580Wesleylife
Childserve Habilitation CenterJohnston, IA★★★★★ 5/574Independent
Westview of Indianola Care CenterIndianola, IA★★★★★ 5/571Legacy Healthcare
Mill-PondAnkeny, IA★★★★★ 5/560Presbyterian Homes & Services
Walnut RidgeClive, IA★★★★★ 5/560Presbyterian Homes & Services
Spurgeon ManorDallas Center, IA★★★★★ 5/555Independent
The VillageIndianola, IA★★★★★ 5/554Wesleylife
Scottish Rite ParkDes Moines, IA★★★★★ 5/551Independent
Prairie Vista Village (Skilled Nursing and Continuing Care)Altoona, IA★★★★★ 5/546Pivotal Health Care
Edgewater, A Wesleylife CommunityWest Des Moines, IA★★★★★ 5/540Wesleylife
On With Life Long Term CarePolk City, IA★★★★★ 5/540Independent
Brio of JohnstonJohnston, IA★★★★★ 5/536Wesleylife
Deerfield Health Care CenterUrbandale, IA★★★★★ 5/530Immanuel
On With LifeAnkeny, IA★★★★★ 5/528Independent
Newton Village Health Care CenterNewton, IA★★★★★ 5/524Cassia

Source: CMS Care Compare, federal five-star quality rating system, retrieved November 2026. Lilisity republishes this government data unmodified; no facility can pay to change its rating.

Which Des Moines areas have senior living?

Senior living in the Des Moines metro is spread across Polk, Dallas, Warren, Jasper, Madison, and Guthrie counties in Iowa. The cities with the most licensed communities and nursing homes are listed below; most sit within a short drive of the region’s hospital systems, which matters for families coordinating specialist care or hospital discharge.

Iowa

  • Des Moines (28)
  • Ankeny (13)
  • West Des Moines (12)
  • Johnston (9)
  • Indianola (7)
  • Urbandale (7)
  • Newton (7)
  • Perry (6)
  • Altoona (4)

How these testimonials were collected and how we’re paid

  1. We interview residents and family members by phone, voice to voice — never web forms, never scraped from other sites.
  2. Every testimonial is named and dated, and verified against the community’s current resident or family list before publishing.
  3. Testimonials are published as given, including critical ones. The only scores or rankings we publish are the Top Communities list and the Excellence Awards.

How Lilisity is paid: Communities can pay Lilisity a flat monthly fee to manage their own listing: photos, prices, contact details, and receiving the inquiries families choose to send them. The fee is the same no matter how many families contact them or move in. Senior Living Alliance, which runs Lilisity, offers the same listing to its member communities as part of their membership; members pay SLA for its resident and family interview program. No community pays Lilisity per inquiry, per referral or per move-in. Payment never changes a testimonial, a rating, or the order of search results. The "Nearby Senior Living Alliance communities" box shows member communities only. CMS ratings come from the federal government, and testimonials come from residents. Read the full methodology → · How we are paid →

Assisted living and memory care by city

Assisted Living in Des Moines 13Memory Care in Des Moines 8

Des Moines senior living questions, answered

Most states, including Iowa, offer a Medicaid waiver that covers care costs (not room and board) at participating assisted living communities for people who qualify financially and medically. Not every community accepts the waiver, so ask early. Veterans and surviving spouses may also qualify for VA Aid & Attendance, worth up to roughly $2,300 per month toward care.

Assisted living provides housing, meals, and help with daily tasks like bathing and medications in an apartment setting, state-licensed and mostly private pay. Nursing homes (skilled nursing) provide 24/7 medical care, are federally certified and CMS-rated, and are typically paid through Medicare, Medicaid, or long-term-care insurance.

Every facility in the table above links to its full record — CMS star ratings, health-inspection findings, staffing hours per resident, and any fines or penalties, sourced from Medicare's Care Compare data. 15 Des Moines-area facilities currently hold a 5-star overall rating.

Assisted living moves can happen in days when a community has availability — after a nurse assessment and paperwork. Memory care placements after a crisis often complete within one to two weeks. Ask each community about openings when you call.

Lilisity publishes scores and rankings only for the Top Communities list and the Excellence Awards, both built from phone-verified interviews. The 70 communities listed by county come from state licensing records; CMS ratings apply only to Medicare-certified nursing homes.

Free help with senior living in Des Moines

Our free guide shows the starting prices communities post for each kind of care, walks you through a monthly budget, and explains how insurance, VA benefits, Medicaid and Medicare can help. We don’t share your information with any community.

Cover of the Lilisity guide Paying for Senior Living

Free guide · 16 pages

Paying for Senior Living

Costs by type of care, a monthly budget, and how insurance, the VA, Medicaid and Medicare help.

Get the free guideRead it online
Cover of the Lilisity guide Paying for Senior Living

Free guide · 16 pages

Paying for Senior Living

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Free for families. No community pays Lilisity per inquiry, per referral or per move-in. How we are paid.
Explore more: All Iowa senior livingPolk CountyDallas CountyWarren CountyJasper CountyMadison CountyGuthrie CountyHow testimonials are verifiedSenior living costs by state
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