By Aaron Hyde and Justin Lossner, JLL Regional markets like Des Moines are no longer waiting their turn. Retailers and office users that once bypassed mid-sized metros for coastal or high-growth markets are compressing their timelines and arriving here ahead of schedule. Heading into the second half of 2026, that shift is already playing out on the ground. Des Moines faces constrained supply and steady demand—not excess capacity. Across retail and office, the question isn’t whether tenants want to be here, but whether growth can physically occur. Retail: strong demand Retail vacancy in metro Des Moines sits around 3.5 percent, the tightest rate in over a decade. Demand spans categories: Quick-service restaurants, banks, auto tenants, fitness and junior box soft goods retailers all absorb space as it becomes available. Retailers are no longer simply looking for the next door down the street. They’re expanding regionally, and markets like Des Moines are benefiting as larger metros tighten. National retailers now enter Des Moines earlier in their expansion cycles. In fact, roughly 36 percent of new national retail leases were signed within five months of space becoming available. Des Moines is consistent with that velocity. Space — not demand — limits growth …
