Following a months long surge driven by the delta variant, new daily cases of COVID-19 are falling once again in the United States. Still, the virus continues to claim lives. So far, 710,757 Americans have died from the virus — more than the total number of Americans killed in World War I and World War II combined.
In the Des Moines-West Des Moines metropolitan area, located in Iowa, a total of 963 deaths have been attributed to the virus, equal to 152 fatalities for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, 217 deaths have been attributed to the virus per 100,000 people.
Though deaths attributable to the virus are less common across the metro area than they are nationwide, this is not the case in some parts of the city.
The broader Des Moines metro area comprises five counties or county equivalents — and of them, Guthrie County has had the most COVID-19 fatalities per capita. So far, the per capita coronavirus death rate in Guthrie County stands at 309 for every 100,000 people.
Though it has the highest per capita death rate in the Des Moines-West Des Moines metro area, Guthrie County ranks among the middle 50% of all U.S. counties or county equivalents by COVID-19 death rate per capita.
All COVID-19 data used in this story are current as of Oct. 13, 2021.
These are all the counties in Iowa where COVID-19 is slowing (and where it’s still getting worse).
| Rank | Geography | Deaths per 100,000 people | Total deaths | Confirmed cases per 100,000 people | Total confirmed cases |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guthrie County, IA | 309 | 33 | 13,969 | 1,491 |
| 2 | Warren County, IA | 194 | 96 | 15,042 | 7,425 |
| 3 | Polk County, IA | 149 | 709 | 15,291 | 72,521 |
| 4 | Madison County, IA | 145 | 23 | 13,210 | 2,099 |
| 5 | Dallas County, IA | 121 | 102 | 16,276 | 13,672 |
Sponsored: Want to Retire Early? Here’s a Great First Step
Want retirement to come a few years earlier than you’d planned? Orare you ready to retire now, but want an extra set of eyes on your finances?
Now you can speak with up to 3 financial experts in your area for FREE. By simply clicking here you can begin to match with financial professionals who can help you build your plan to retire early. And the best part? The first conversation with them is free.
Click here to match with up to 3 financial pros who would be excited to help you make financial decisions.
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.
Editors' Picks
