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.
2022 Rankings
Top 10 Place Where It’s Easiest to Save for Your First Home — Money, 2022
#7 Most Affordable Housing Market — GoodHire, 2022
#6 Top Metro for Number Economic Development Projects (among metros with a population of 200,000 to 1 million) — Site Selection Magazine, 2022
One of 50 Cities Worth Exploring in 2022 — Travel Pulse, 2022
The Breakout Cities on the Forefront of America's Economic Recovery – The Wall Street Journal, 2021
#1 Best Place to Live in the Midwest for High Salaries and Low Cost of Living – The Ascent, 2021
#2 Safest Place to Live – U.S. News & World Report, 2021
#4 Best Place to Raise Kids – SmartAsset, 2021
#4 Most Sustainable Metro – Site Selection, 2021
#7 Best Place to Live in the U.S. – U.S. News & World Report, 2021
#8 Top City Whose Unemployment Rate is Dropping – WalletHub, 2021
#11 Most Affordable City to Buy a Home – Forbes Advisor, 2021
2020 Rankings
#5 Metro for Number of Economic Development Projects among metros with a population of 200,000 to 1 million – Site Selection Magazine, 2020
#11 Best City to Live in After the Pandemic – Business Insider, 2020
Top 10 Housing Markets for Millennials During the Pandemic – National Association of Realtors, 2020
One of the U.S. Cities Best Positioned to Bounce Back from the Pandemic – Moody's Analytics, 2020
2019 Rankings
#3 Best City for High Salaries and Low Costs of Living – The Ascent, 2019
#1 Place with Good Jobs and Cheap Housing – Investopedia, 2019
#5 Best Place to Live in the U.S. – U.S. News & World Report, 2019
#3 Best Affordable Place to Live in the U.S. – U.S. News & World Report, 2019
Top 7 Most Recession-Proof Cities in the U.S. – Livability, 2019
#8 Best U.S. City for Work-Life Balance – GOBankingRates, 2019
1 of 3 Cities Bucking the Tide of Midwest Talent & Population Loss – Site Selection, 2019
One of "10 Cities That are Ready for the Big Time" – Site Selection Magazine, 2019
One of "10 Cities That are Blooming, Not Rusting" – Manhattan Institute, 2019
#1 Metro for Millenials to Buy Homes – Grow Magazine, 2019
#2 Top City for Young Home Buyers – Clever Real Estate, 2019
#7 Best City for Living the American Dream – SmartAsset, 2019
#3 Metro for Number of Economic Development Projects among metros with a population of 200,000 – 1 million – SiteSelection, 2019
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.