Virtual data rooms for Des Moines deals, audits and legal matters

What sets Des Moines's economy apart

Compared with the United States as a whole, the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro has an unusually large share of its businesses in securities and investment firms: 395 establishments, 1.5 times the national share. Next come insurance (599 establishments, 1.5 times) and utilities (68 establishments, 1.5 times). Of the 61 metros on these pages with published figures for securities and investment firms, Des Moines ranks 4th, behind Wilmington, DE and others.

Fund managers and advisors share offering documents, investor reports and compliance files with limited partners and examiners.

Agency acquisitions and carrier transactions turn on book-of-business data, carrier contracts and regulatory filings. In insurance, Des Moines places 4th of 61 metros here; Little Rock, AR leads.

How Des Moines compares

The Census Bureau estimated the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro's population at 753,913 in July 2024, up 44,396 or 6.3 percent on the April 2020 base of 709,517.

Measured against the 2023 estimate of 740,131, the same year as the business count, Des Moines has 49.2 offices of lawyers per 100,000 residents, 37th of the 59 metro areas on these pages against a median of 52.6; the nearest rates are Baltimore, MD at 49.3 and Detroit, MI at 48.7.

The metro with the closest number of law offices is Boise, ID, with 402; the metro closest in population, Little Rock, AR at 769,258 residents, has 510 law offices and 356 accounting, tax, bookkeeping and payroll establishments.

Counted by accounting, tax, bookkeeping and payroll firms instead, Des Moines's nearest match is Portland, ME, with 276.

• Residents, July 2024: 753,913
• Residents, April 2020 base: 709,517
• Change since 2020: +44,396 (6.3 percent), 15th of 59
• Law offices per 100,000 residents: 49.2, 37th of 59
• Accounting, tax, bookkeeping and payroll per 100,000 residents: 41.2, 29th of 59
• Securities and investment per 100,000 residents: 53.4, 6th of 59
• Managing offices per 100,000 residents: 17.6, 14th of 59
• Real estate agents and brokers per 100,000 residents: 64.0, 24th of 59
• Employees in offices of lawyers: about 2,500
• Employees in accounting, tax, bookkeeping and payroll: about 2,800

The courts and regulators behind Des Moines paperwork

When a Des Moines dispute reaches federal court, it goes to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa.

CPAs practicing in Iowa are licensed by the Iowa Accountancy Examining Board.

At state level, securities offerings and investment advisers in Iowa answer to the Iowa Insurance Division, so a Des Moines fund raising money or an adviser facing an exam has documents to produce on request.

If personal information in a Des Moines deal, audit or case file is exposed, Iowa's data breach notification law sets who has to be told and when.