Curb CanopyData-only cityEquity data available. Programs, species, and local info need community input.
Share local info →What is the Tree Equity Score?
American Forests' Tree Equity Score combines tree canopy coverage, surface temperature, income, employment, race, age, and health data to identify where trees are needed most. Scores range from 0 to 100, and areas below 60 are priority for investment.
View Des Moines on Tree Equity Score ↗95.3
TES Score / 100
33.8%
Current Canopy
29.9%
Canopy Goal
2.8%
Canopy Gap
Current: 33.8%Goal: 29.9%
Current canopy
Gap to goal
Environmental Benefits
Carbon Sequestered
69.4K tons CO₂/yr
+9.6K tons if gap closed
Stormwater Intercepted
493.8M gal/yr
Avg Tree Shade at Noon
28.1%
Canopy Area
67.6 km²
of 211.9 km² total
Estimated using i-Tree urban canopy rates. Methodology ↗
Equity Indicators
These factors show how tree canopy gaps overlap with social and environmental vulnerabilities.
1930s Redlining
72.9%
of neighborhoods were graded "hazardous" or "declining" on 1930s federal lending maps. Banks refused to invest in these areas, and many are still under-treed decades later.
Environmental Justice
67.0%
of neighborhoods are classified as overburdened by the White House's Climate & Economic Justice Screening Tool, meaning they face outsized pollution, poverty, or health risks. Trees help, but they're not the whole fix.
Heat Island Effect
+0.3°F
hotter than surrounding areas on average. Pavement absorbs heat, trees block it. That's the whole pitch.
People in the Data
221,356
people live across the 188 Census block groups we analyzed. That's who these numbers represent.
Data last updated: Feb 2026
Help build the Des Moines page
We have Tree Equity data but this city is missing free tree programs, local nurseries, native species info, and community partners. Your local knowledge turns a data page into something people can actually use.
Share what you know →Local Partners
Data only
Somewhere in Des Moines, IA, a city employee has a free tree program form in a filing cabinet. We just need to find that person.
Know a local tree program? Tell us →