Highland Park/Oak Park, Des Moines
Highland Park/Oak Park is one of the 46 neighborhoods the City of Des Moines recognizes (city neighborhood list). The city's list gives its recognition date as November 8, 1993, a date 15 other neighborhoods share.
Boundaries
| North | North City Limits |
|---|---|
| South | Hull to 2nd Avenue to Des Moines River |
| East | Chicago NW Rail Road Tracks |
| West | 6th Avenue |
Residential parcels and assessed values
The Polk County Auditor's parcel data puts 4,680 residential parcels inside Highland Park/Oak Park's boundary, 10 of them condominium units: the 2nd highest count of the 46 neighborhoods. 4,512 of them have a dwelling value. Their median assessed value is $158,900, and the middle half are assessed between $131,100 and $189,000.
That median is the 12th lowest of the 46 neighborhoods' medians. The middle of those 46 medians is $201,725, and Highland Park/Oak Park's is $42,825 below it.
Assessed for property tax as of January 1, 2025; not sale prices. What is counted.
School districts
Highland Park/Oak Park's residential parcels are in two school districts:
- Des Moines Independent Community School District: 4,670 parcels (99.8%)
- Saydel Community School District: 10 parcels (0.2%)
Finding the school for an address.
Property taxes
Highland Park/Oak Park's residential parcels are in two taxing districts, at these consolidated rates per $1,000 of taxable value for the bills paid in September 2026 and March 2027 (Polk County Auditor's rate table):
| Taxing district | Rate per $1,000 | Residential parcels |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines city, Des Moines Independent schools | 43.74496 | 4,670 99.8% |
| Des Moines city, Saydel schools | 40.19182 | 10 0.2% |
On a home assessed at Highland Park/Oak Park's median, $158,900, in the largest district, the yearly tax works out to about $2,883.45: $158,900 × 44.5345% rollback = $70,765 taxable, ÷ 1,000 × $43.74496 = $3,095.61, less the $212.16 homestead credit (who gets it).
Estimate the tax on another value → · Every Des Moines taxing district →
Census figures
No Census figures are quoted for Highland Park/Oak Park: the eleven block groups mostly inside it cover 71.5% of its area and hold 83.3% of its 5,468 housing units in the 2020 Census, short of the 80% this site needs for both. How block groups are matched.
Parks
The city's parks layer has eight parks mostly inside Highland Park/Oak Park's boundary, and two more partly inside or along it (which parks are listed).
Mostly inside: Belle Turner Park, Birdland Sports Park, Earl Rodine Park (Harding Schoolyard), East 9th Basin Park, McHenry Park, Northside Library Grounds (open space), Riverview Park, Neal Smith Trail.
Partly inside or along the boundary: Des Moines River Open Space (open space), Inter-Urban Trail (linear park).
All 46 recognized neighborhoods → · ← Grays Woods · Historic East Village →
Renting in Des Moines → Zillow's typical rent and the Census Bureau's renter figures for the city.
Sources
- City of Des Moines, Neighborhoods (recognized neighborhood boundaries, boundary streets, recognition dates and websites), Des Moines Area Regional GIS Partnership. Retrieved November 5, 2026. © City of Des Moines, Iowa. All rights reserved. Facts stated with credit; the boundary maps are not reproduced.
- Polk County Auditor, Polk County Cadastral Parcels REST service: parcel boundaries, condominium unit points and the Value table (tax year 2025). Retrieved November 5, 2026. Polk County compiled this information for government purposes only and makes no warranty; it is not responsible for non-governmental use.
- Polk County Auditor, Consolidated Tax Levy Rates For Polk County, Iowa: For 2025 Assessed Valuations, Taxes Payable September 2026 and March 2027 (City Non-Agricultural section). Retrieved November 5, 2026.
- Iowa Legislature, Iowa Code 2026, section 425.2 (qualifying for the homestead credit: claim filed by July 1 of the year claimed; a buyer refiles). Retrieved November 5, 2026.
- Iowa Department of Revenue, Homestead Tax Credit and Exemption. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, TIGERweb, 2020 Census blocks with housing-unit counts (HU100). Retrieved November 5, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, TIGERweb, ACS 2024 block group boundaries. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
- City of Des Moines, Parks, Des Moines Area Regional GIS Partnership. Retrieved November 5, 2026. © City of Des Moines, Iowa. All rights reserved.
The city's boundaries are used only to count what falls inside them; this site does not reproduce the city's maps. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Public records, shown as published for the dates named. Not an appraisal, not real-estate or tax advice. Check a specific address's school and tax district with the district and the county.