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.

2023 Rankings
#1 Place for Young Professionals to Live – Forbes, 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
#3 Best Market for Recent College Graduates — Zillow, 2023
Top 20 Best Place to Live in the U.S. — U.S. News & World Report, 2023
# 1 Best Midsized Metros for Millennials  — CommercialCafe, 2023
#7 Lowest Cost of Living in the U.S. — Apartment List, 2023
2022 Rankings
#12 Most Affordable Place to Live in the U.S. — U.S. News & World Report, 2022
#4 Most Arts-Vibrant Mid-Sized Community — SMU DataArts, 2022
Best Mid-Size Town in the Midwest — Midwest Living, 2022 
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
 
2021 Rankings
 
Top 10 Best State Capital to Live in — Smartasset, 2021
#13 Best Place to Live in America — U.S. News & World Report, 2021
Top 10 City to Live in After the Pandemic – Today, 2021
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
#11 Most Affordable City to Buy a Home – Forbes Advisor, 2021 

 
 

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.