DES MOINES, Iowa — Many people probably don't need an official ranking to confirm it, but Des Moines has been named one of the best places to live in the country by U.S. News & World Report.
The list looked at the 150 most populous metro areas in the nation and analyzed them by looking at their housing affordability, quality of life, growth and safety. The scores are broken down into the following metrics: Job Market (20%), Value (25%), Quality of Life (32.5%), Desirability (17.5) and Net Migration (5%).
Des Moines made the No. 14 slot, ahead of cities like Boise, Idaho and Grand Rapids, Michigan. Iowa's capital city earned a high mark for Value (8.0) but lower for Quality of Life (6.6). Each value is based on a 10-point scale.
The top five cities are listed below:
- Huntsville, Alabama
- Colorado Springs, Colorado
- Green Bay, Wisconsin
- Boulder, Colorado
- San Jose, California
The report cites some of Des Moines' best qualities as its cost of living, which is below the national average, plenty of outdoor activities, plus lively sports and arts scenes.
U.S. News & World Report also ranked Des Moines as the 12th-most affordable place to live in the country.
However, the report says the city has room to improve when it comes to retirement. On its list of best places to retire, Des Moines came out pretty low at No. 94.
Other cities on the "Best Places to Live" list for 2022-23 include Minneapolis-St. Paul (No. 27), Omaha, Nebraska (No. 29) and the Quad Cities (No. 53)