Des Moines Senior AdvisorPolk County holds Des Moines and most of the metro's suburbs: West Des Moines (in part), Ankeny, Urbandale, Johnston, Clive, Altoona, Pleasant Hill, Grimes, Bondurant and Polk City, with about 516,546 residents in 2025 Census estimates and nearly all of the region's hospital beds.
Because so much of the county's licensed care sits in Des Moines and a ring of large suburbs, we break it down by part of the city and by suburb below. Polk is the largest county served by Aging Resources of Central Iowa, and PACE covers it.
How many seniors and licensed care options does Polk County, Iowa have?
Polk County had about 82,024 residents aged 65 and older (15.9% of 516,546), including 9,083 aged 85 and older, on July 1, 2025, and DIAL lists 52 certified assisted living programs and 30 nursing facilities there.
| Found in Polk County | Not found in Polk County | |
|---|---|---|
| Certified or licensed with a local address (DIAL) | Assisted living programs: 52, Residential care facilities: 7, Nursing facilities: 27, Adult day services: 3, Home health agencies: 16, Hospices: 10, Hospice houses: 3 | — |
| No local certificate or license on file | — | All categories present |
| Dementia-specific assisted living | 27 programs | — |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 county population estimates by age (July 1, 2025).
Where is licensed senior care located inside Polk County?
Of Polk County's 52 certified assisted living programs, 15 have Des Moines addresses in the four areas we map and 37 are in the suburbs.
| Area or city | Assisted living programs | Nursing facilities |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown, Drake & the West Side | 5 | 4 |
| Beaverdale, Highland Park & the North Side | 4 | 2 |
| The East Side, Capitol East & Easton | 3 | 4 |
| The South Side, Southridge & the Airport Area | 3 | 2 |
| West Des Moines | 4 | 2 |
| Ankeny | 9 | 4 |
| Urbandale | 5 | 3 |
| Johnston | 5 | 3 |
| Clive | 5 | 1 |
| Grimes, Polk City & Granger | 2 | 2 |
| Altoona & Bondurant | 4 | 2 |
| Pleasant Hill | 3 | 1 |
Who helps seniors and caregivers in Polk County, Iowa?
Older adults in Polk County are served by Aging Resources of Central Iowa, the Area Agency on Aging at 5838 Grand Avenue, Suite 106, Des Moines, IA 50312 ((515) 255-1310, toll-free 1-800-747-5352), which handles information and assistance, options counseling, caregiver support, meal programs and elder rights.
Its services include information and assistance, options counseling, family caregiver support, nutrition programs, elder rights and abuse prevention. Complaints about a certified program or licensed facility go to DIAL at (515) 381-7272, residents' rights questions to the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman at 1-866-236-1430, and suspected abuse of a dependent adult at home to Iowa HHS at 1-800-362-2178. PACE is available here: Immanuel Pathways Central Iowa ((515) 270-5000, 7700 Hickman Road, Windsor Heights, IA 50324) enrolls Polk County residents aged 55 and older who meet nursing facility level of care.
Which hospitals serve Polk County seniors?
DIAL's roster shows 4 general hospitals in Polk County, run by UnityPoint Health, MercyOne and Broadlawns, the county's public hospital, plus a rehabilitation hospital in Clive; most nursing home and rehab referrals start with a discharge from one of them.
- Broadlawns Medical Center (Des Moines, 200 licensed beds)
- MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center (Des Moines, 768 licensed beds)
- UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical Center (Des Moines, 482 licensed beds)
- UnityPoint Health Des Moines Iowa Lutheran (Des Moines, 224 licensed beds)
