Should I Move To
Des Moines, Iowa is a population of 213,164 . Cost of living is affordable — 11% below the national average, with median rent around $995/month and median household income of $62,378. Overall it earns an UrbRank Score of 51/100 (grade C-), ranking #427 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Inverse of violent + property crime rate per 100,000 residents.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Des Moines's composite cost-of-living index sits at 89 (US average = 100), placing it in the affordable tier. At $995/month median rent against $62,378 median household income, residents spend about 19% of household income on rent — well within the 30% rule of thumb. Median home value is $170,700.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Des Moines has a cold-winter climate — summer highs average 84°F and winter lows average 17°F, with 37 inches of precipitation annually. Somewhat walkable — many neighborhoods support daily errands without a car. Crime rates are roughly average for a US city of this size. Air quality is good (AQI 37).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
Des Moines is a less obvious fit for families. It earns a Score of 52/100 (grade C-) on the families profile. Especially strong on affordability (83/100), weakest on climate (15/100).
Des Moines is a less obvious fit for retirees. It earns a Score of 53/100 (grade C-) on the retirees profile. Especially strong on affordability (83/100), weakest on climate (15/100).
Des Moines is a moderate fit for remote workers. It earns a Score of 59/100 (grade C) on the remote workers profile. Especially strong on affordability (83/100), weakest on climate (15/100).
Des Moines is a less obvious fit for young professionals. It earns a Score of 45/100 (grade D) on the young professionals profile. Especially strong on affordability (83/100), weakest on climate (15/100).
Des Moines, Iowa has an overall UrbRank Score of 51/100 (grade C-), ranked #427 nationally. The score is a weighted average across affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Des Moines's cost-of-living index is 89 (US average = 100), so it's affordable — 11% below the national average. Median rent is $995/month.
Des Moines has a cold-winter climate. Summer highs average 84°F and winter lows average 17°F, with 37 inches of annual precipitation.
Des Moines has a Walk Score of 50/100. Somewhat walkable — many neighborhoods support daily errands without a car.
Des Moines has a population of 213,164, with 29% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher and a median age of 34.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Des Moines side-by-side with any other US city — housing costs, salaries, demographics, and quality of life metrics displayed together. The leaderboard pages also show how Des Moines ranks for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Des Moines with other Iowa cities scored on UrbRank.
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