DES MOINES, Iowa — Des Moines is already the fastest-growing major metro area in the Midwest, according to The Greater Des Moines Partnership.
But now, a new new Forbes Advisor study said it's the place for young professionals to be.
The study named Des Moines and West Des Moines as the best places in the country for young professionals to live and work after comparing the 100 most-populous metropolitan areas based on four main categories:
- Employment and pay
- Housing affordability
- Lifestyle
- Cost of Living
The accolades come on the heels of a decades-long push to promote Des Moines.
"We look back 25 years ago and that was one of the main focus of the state's, to try to get younger people to move to Iowa," said Greg Edwards, president and CEO of Catch Des Moines.
The news doesn't come as a shock to Edwards, who heads the city's tourism organization.
"Des Moines has really turned into a really vibrant city," Edwards added. "We've got a great convention center with an arena, we've got great culture, arts, big music scene."
Forbes found that the unemployment rate in Des Moines ranks seventh lowest in the study, at 2.4%, with the median home price coming in at $265,300.
Des Moines also ranks eighth lowest for monthly rent costs at $1,103.
"Our housing market is very affordable. You can buy a really nice home here for maybe $50,000 to $100,000 less than you can in a lot of other — even Midwest — major cities," Edwards said.
The partnership said the area also has plenty of job opportunities available, especially for new college grads.
"There are so many opportunities here," said Senior VP of Talent Development Jenae Sikkink. "Our employers set up the young professionals for success, they get them connected into the community."