The greater Des Moines metro area is an exciting place to be right now with so many diverse events and activities – whether it’s our nationally-recognized Arts Festival, great dining options, connected bike trails, a new Events Center with big-name acts, a thriving theatre community, an emerging music festival, downtown and suburban living to match your lifestyle, the I-Cubs and other minor league sports, a new downtown public library and Science Center, professional golf events and world-class marathon and triathlon, and the list goes on and on.

Since 2000, we have seen a renaissance take place in our community. The city of Des Moines and its surrounding communities believe that successful economic development includes having a strong quality of life. The metro is on a mission to ensure it is offering an enjoyable quality of life in order to attract a qualified workforce for the long-term.

Take a look at how Des Moines is viewed by others based on livability, business opportunities, safety, education, arts & culture and more.

2025 Rankings
#1 Best Place to Live in Iowa for Young Adults — SoFi, 2025
#1 Metro for Gen Z Homebuyers — Cotality, 2025
#3 Most Affordable City to Live in the U.S. — Extra Space Storage, 2025
#3 Best Mid-Sized City in the U.S. — Extra Space Storage, 2025
#3 Most Livable City in the U.S. — Reader's Digest, 2025 
#3 Most Livable City in the U.S. — Visual Capitalist, 2025
#5 Best Cultural Festival (World Food & Music Festival) — USA TODAY, 2025
2024 Rankings
#2 Best Place for Young Professionals — Forbes, 2024
#3 Most Livable Metro — RentCafe, 2024 & Des Moines Register
#4 Best U.S. City for Young Adults — Homebuyer.com, 2024
#6 Fastest-Growing Hiring Market for New College Graduates — CNBC, 2024
#7 Safest City to Live in the U.S. — U.S. News & World Report, 2024
#8 Most Affordable U.S. Metro Area — Clever Real Estate, 2024
#10 Best Place for Business and Careers — Forbes, 2024
Top 10 Best City for Work/Life Balance and Mental Health — CoworkingCafe, 2024 
2023 Rankings
#1 Best Midsized Metros for Millennials  — CommercialCafe, 2023
#1 Place for Young Professionals to Live — Forbes, 2023 
Top 20 Best Place to Live in the U.S. — U.S. News & World Report, 2023
#3 Best Market for Recent College Graduates — Zillow, 2023
#7 Lowest Cost of Living in the U.S. — Apartment List, 2023
Top 10 Fastest-Growing Mid-Sized Metro — Site Selection Group, 2023
Top 12 Best Mid-Size City in the U.S. — Extra Space Storage, 2023
 
 

For additional information, check out a website sponsored by the Greater Des Moines Partnership.

Check out a website sponsored by the Greater Des Moines Convention & Visitors bureau.

For a complete list of Des Moines rankings, click here for the rankings.