Should I Move To
West Des Moines, Iowa is a population of 68,744 . Cost of living is affordable — 10% below the national average, with median rent around $1,153/month and median household income of $82,345. Overall it earns an UrbRank Score of 52/100 (grade C-), ranking #410 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
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.
West Des Moines's composite cost-of-living index sits at 90 (US average = 100), placing it in the affordable tier. At $1,153/month median rent against $82,345 median household income, residents spend about 17% of household income on rent — well within the 30% rule of thumb. Median home value is $266,700.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →West Des Moines has a cold-winter climate — summer highs average 84°F and winter lows average 17°F, with 37 inches of precipitation annually. Almost entirely car-dependent. Crime data isn't available for this city. Air quality is good (AQI 37).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
West Des Moines is a moderate fit for families. It earns a Score of 58/100 (grade C) on the families profile. Especially strong on education (84/100), weakest on walkability (8/100).
West Des Moines is a less obvious fit for retirees. It earns a Score of 41/100 (grade D) on the retirees profile. Especially strong on education (84/100), weakest on walkability (8/100).
West Des Moines is a less obvious fit for remote workers. It earns a Score of 52/100 (grade C-) on the remote workers profile. Especially strong on education (84/100), weakest on walkability (8/100).
West Des Moines is a less obvious fit for young professionals. It earns a Score of 48/100 (grade D) on the young professionals profile. Especially strong on education (84/100), weakest on walkability (8/100).
West Des Moines, Iowa has an overall UrbRank Score of 52/100 (grade C-), ranked #410 nationally. The score is a weighted average across affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
West Des Moines's cost-of-living index is 90 (US average = 100), so it's affordable — 10% below the national average. Median rent is $1,153/month.
West Des Moines has a cold-winter climate. Summer highs average 84°F and winter lows average 17°F, with 37 inches of annual precipitation.
West Des Moines has a Walk Score of 8/100. Almost entirely car-dependent.
West Des Moines has a population of 68,744, with 54% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher and a median age of 36.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put West 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 West 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 West Des Moines with other Iowa cities scored on UrbRank.
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