Runnells is a city of 3,150 in Polk County, about 11 miles east of downtown Des Moines · Updated November 2026
How common is property crime in Runnells?
Property crime is low in Runnells: an A+, safer than the neighborhoods where 88% of Americans live. Theft makes up 49% of it. Burglary, the crime most likely to reach into a home, grades A+, and vehicle theft grades A+.
A+
Property crime CrimeGrade™
Safety score 956 of 1,000Less property crime than most US neighborhoodsi What this means
88% of Americans live in neighborhoods with more property crime than Runnells as a whole, and 12% in neighborhoods with less. The typical US neighborhood has a property crime safety score of 823, a CrimeGrade™ of A-. Runnells scores 956.
Crime is concentrated in a small share of places, so most neighborhoods score high on the 0 to 1,000 scale. That is why a score in the 800s can still mean more property crime than most US neighborhoods.
How to read the map: each area's color compares its property crime with the homes, parked cars and people there, on one national scale, from green for the least to red for the most. Each area gets its own color, so a busy shopping center can show red while the homes beside it stay green. The interactive maps load faster on a strong connection. Compare high speed internet in Runnells, IA at ISP Reports.
Who this page is for: homeowners and renters in Runnells, and anyone thinking about buying or renting a home there.
Business and enterprise customers: this free map shows neighborhood areas. CrimeGrade™ business reports map crime at about 66-meter detail and estimate it for one address and type of business. See business reports
Property crime rates and types in Runnells
CrimeGrade™ estimates Runnells has about 7.2 reported property crimes a year for every 1,000 residents, 70% less than the US as a whole and 60% less than Iowa.
All property crime
Burglary
Vehicle theft
Reported crimes a year, per 1,000 residents. Property crime here includes vandalism, which the FBI's property crime rate leaves out.
Theft is the most common property crime in Runnells, about 49% of the total, followed by vandalism and burglary.
Each CrimeGrade™ here compares a property crime with what it affects: homes for burglary and arson, parked cars for vehicle theft, people and parking for theft, homes and businesses for vandalism. Rates count crimes per 1,000 residents.
Select a crime's name to see its map above. CrimeGrade™ business reports map each crime at about 66-meter detail.
Where and when property crime happens in Runnells
The Polk County Sheriff's Office polices Runnells, and these figures cover every place it serves, 2022 to 2024.
In Runnells, 60% of burglaries hit homes, against 57% nationally. Car thefts happen most often at homes: 43% of them, against 33% nationally.
Crime
Most often at
Busiest time
Burglary
Homes (60%)
Afternoon (noon to 6 pm)
Car theft
Homes (43%)
Evening (6 pm to midnight)
Theft from cars
Homes (36%)
Afternoon (noon to 6 pm)
Vandalism
Homes (37%)
Evening (6 pm to midnight)
Shares of the crimes reported to police, 2022 to 2024. Reports with no time recorded are left out of the times.
Property crime in Runnells and nearby cities
Runnells has less property crime than 4 of its 5 nearest cities; only Mitchellville has less.
Nearest first, with each place's distance from Runnells. Beside each property crime CrimeGrade™ is its safety score, from 0 to 1,000 (higher is safer).
Compared with cities of similar size and density, Runnells is safer than 51% of them.
Among the traits that tend to go with property crime, two set Runnells apart: it has 4 jobs for every 100 residents, against 45 for the US as a whole, and 0.4% of its homes standing empty, against 7.1% nationally. Places like that tend to report less theft, and it runs low here.
JobsJobs draw daytime crowds. Places with many jobs tend to report more theft.4 for every 100 residentsUS: 45Lower than for 99% of US city residents
Empty homesSeasonal and vacation homes are left out. Places with many empty homes tend to report more burglary, vandalism and arson.0.4% of homesUS: 7.1%Lower than for 99% of US city residents
Walk GradeBestNeighborhood's grade for getting through daily life on foot, traced along real walking routes to shops, schools and parks. Walkable places tend to report more theft. 100% of residents here live in car-dependent areas.F (1 of 100)US: 21Lower than for 98% of US city residents
Show all 6
Lit at nightSatellite images show which neighborhoods are lit at night, a sign of busy streets and businesses. Brightly lit places tend to report more theft and vandalism.8% where people liveUS: 78%Lower than for 98% of US city residents
Residents in dense blocksBlocks of 10,000 or more people per square mile. Dense neighborhoods tend to report more car theft.NoneUS: 24%Lower than for 97% of US city residents
Stores and restaurantsShops and restaurants draw crowds and parked cars. Places with many stores tend to report more theft.3.5 per 1,000 residentsUS: 10.5Lower than for 96% of US city residents
These traits tend to go with more or less crime; none of them causes it on its own. Sources: Census job counts and housing figures, OpenStreetMap and Overture business listings, CrimeGrade™ parking estimates, NASA night-light imagery, US Forest Service tree cover, EPA transit data and BestNeighborhood's Walk Grade.
What property crime costs Runnells
Property crime costs Runnells about $160,000 a year, or $51 per resident and about $161 per household: the value of what is stolen or damaged, plus the police, courts and prisons that respond.
Cost of property crime per resident, per year
How the cost breaks down
Pain and suffering add little to the cost of property crime, so this is close to its full cost.
Crime
Cost a year
Per resident
Burglary
$40,000
$13
Theft
$56,000
$18
Vehicle theft
$19,000
$6
Arson
$2,900
$1
Vandalism
$41,000
$13
Total
$160,000
$51
How CrimeGrade™ works
The property crime CrimeGrade™ covers burglary, theft, car theft, arson and vandalism, from A+ for the least crime to F for the most, on one scale for the whole country.
It weighs each property crime against what it affects: homes for burglary and arson, parked cars for car theft, and the people and parking around stores for theft.
The rates on this page count crimes for every 1,000 people who live here, the way police departments report them.
Comparisons with US neighborhoods use the Census Bureau's block groups, small areas of about 1,400 residents, and count the people who live in each. The figures count crimes reported to police; many crimes, shoplifting above all, never are. Behind the grades, CrimeGrade™ tested 21,607 factors from 125 data families. For business owners, paid CrimeGrade™ location reports estimate crime at a single address for each type of business.
Where the numbers come from
Crime reports that police departments file with the FBI
State crime records and city crime data, where they are published
Published research on what crime costs victims and communities
These are estimates of reported crime for whole areas, not a record of what happened on any one street. CrimeGrade™ updates them once a year and provides them free and without guarantee. Check local sources before you rely on them for a decision.
