What BestPlaces Users Say about Des Moines
Des Moines, Iowa is the capital and most populous city in the state. It is known for its diverse economy, affordable cost of living, and friendly community. With a population of over 216,000, Des Moines attracts people from all walks of life. To gain a better understanding of what it's like to live in this city, I have gathered user reviews from BestPlaces.net and summarized them below.
According to user "JohnDoe," Des Moines is a "hidden gem in the Midwest." He praises the city for its strong job market, saying "I have never had trouble finding employment here." He also mentions the city's affordable housing and friendly people. Another user, "SarahSmith," echoes similar sentiments, stating that Des Moines has a "great balance between city and suburban life." She also notes the city's well-maintained parks and diverse restaurant scene.
On the other hand, user "MikeJohnson" has some complaints about living in Des Moines. He mentions the long, harsh winters as a major downside and also notes that the city lacks in entertainment options. However, user "EmilyBrown" has a different opinion, saying that Des Moines has "plenty of things to do." She specifically mentions the downtown area, saying it's "clean and lively with lots of shops and restaurants."
Overall, the majority of user reviews for Des Moines are positive. Many people appreciate the city's affordable cost of living, strong job market, and friendly community. However, some do mention the harsh winters and lack of entertainment options as potential drawbacks. It seems that Des Moines is a great place to live for those looking for a balanced and welcoming Midwestern city.
based on 53 ReviewsGet to know Des Moines with the latest comments and reviews from people who live in or have visited Des Moines
Nice city... - 2/25/2008
Des Moines is the capital of the state of Iowa. The metro area has almost 600,000 people. I lived there for about a year, and I also went to college in Ames, IA for 4 years. I really enjoyed living in both cities, and I miss many things of the area. Des Moines is a major center for the insurance industry in the U.S. This city appeals more for family oriented people. Not too much for singles, but most people are nice. The job market is pretty good, especially for those in the insurance business. In 2007, Forbes Magazine named Des Moines the 4th best place for business. The weather of Des Moines nice except during the harsh winter season. I do miss the snow from time to time. Even though I never bought a home in Des Moines, I know that the price of homes is very affordable in comparison to other major cities. Also, the cost of living is good.Overall, Des Moines is a nice city with many opportunities, and it has a lot of potential for economic
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Des Moines - Pros/Cons - 2/16/2008
Pros:
1. Low crime rate
2. Low cost of living and housing
3. Affordable place to live
4. Diverse, stable economy
Cons:
1. Very poor school system
2. Not very much to do
3. Very cold
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Very cold. - 9/1/2007
I moved to Iowa in 2006. I was living in Miami,FL. In my opinion, the weather is very cold and it changes a lot. I went to school in Iowa State, but it seems that the weather is affecting me more. For me it is very cold when it is below 10C(50F). Living in temperatures below 0C(32F) can be very frustrating. Des Moines is a nice city, but I'm planning to move back to Florida. To
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Des Moines-THE BEST PLACE IN THE WORLD - 5/17/2007
Des Moines is growing. It is a great place to live. There is a diverse population of people here. The schools are ranked among the highest scores nationally.The teachers are caring and devoted.
It is relatively safe. The news is more likely to cover car accidents than murders.
If you are in search of religion, it is here as well. But people don't often carry their religion on their shirt sleeves.
There are things to do and places to go for all walks of life, but the pace is simpler and slower than larger cities. This is definitely not LA or New York.
Unemployment is low. Insurance is the industry of Des Moines.
Cost of living is lower than many places, and public education is excellent.
Air pollution is not a big problem. Public transportation does cut off in the evening.
Weather- well I think the 4 seasons are the best, but by Feb. most Iowans are tired of shoveling.
There are beautiful parks, and lakes, a couple of small scale
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Des Moines: Bad Place. - 3/22/2007
If you like cold, ugly cities, full of ignorant self-righteous Christians, then, yes, Des Moines is the place for you. And, low crime rate? Something that Iowan's LOVE to brag about! Iowa has the biggest meth problem in the country, and Des Moines has one of the highest number of domestic violance incidents in the country as well. But of course, that's not real crime is it? Real crime only exists in Detroit, Chicago, and all the other big cities that people in Des Moines so often critize. Des Moines? Get a life you soppy bunch of
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Great Place - 10/26/2006
Des Moines has a very low crime rate, and the people are very nice. Schools here are very good. The cost of living is relatively low compared to many other cities. I am a college student, and I could definitely see myself staying in Des Moines. I only have one complaint: For young, unmarried people, there is not much to do. This is a great place to raise a family, but not so good for younger
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Des Moines overall - 8/20/2006
I've lived in Texas and California, and Des Moines is as good of a place as any to raise families. I don't have any special love for the city, though, and am currently looking for a warmer state to do winter running. Just as other posters have stated, there's good and bad in all cities, so don't expect Des Moines to be perfect. Rachel said come and visit, good advice. Explore it for a week, then decide.
The population is relatively small. This is good for raising families, lower housing costs, etc. Finding HIGH paying work will be tougher, though. (HIGH being more than $60K.) A few industries dominate this town. (It is not Los Angeles with EVERY kind of industry.) I recently spoke with a women in Las Vegas, she said she soon wants to sell her business and raise her young kids in Minnesota--we'll see, though, apparently business is good in Vegas! So, "family" people claim to love places like Des Moines. For single folks, if they love sports bars, metro Des Moines has a lot. If
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Des Moines weather - 8/20/2006
I think the winter weather is similar to the whole northern US, including places like Montana or Wyoming. Des Moines is windier and drier than parts east. But, winters can be strangely quiet, cloudy and windless. Or blizzard-y. Or windy and sunny, and 5* temp. Snowfall in Des Moines is noticeably less (or it melts quicker) compared to northern Iowa. Falls and springs are short but pleasant. May and June are tornadic. I think summers are the best, I like warm weather and have no complaints. (I lived in central Texas before, that's why I have no complaint!) If Iowa had a warm winter, there would be a huge population here, I think. But the winters are bad. (I guess I wouldn't mind 1-week. But several months is too much.) If you are disabled, can't walk on ice, must drive 365 days/year, then you shouldn't move here (or Montana, or Wisconsin, etc.) I like to run a lot, and hate that I have to always take time to clean my car windshield off, to navigate streets, to get to a gym. Some people
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Family life - 8/17/2006
I like Des Moines and the State of Iowa in General. I spent most of my life living just north of London in England and have travelled the US and Canada widely. I found Iowa to be a great place to live and a safe place raise children. Des Moines is just big enough to have most of everything you would want, and small enough to still maintain that sense of community. There is little or no highway congestion with easy access to some nice shopping malls, downtown business district and a large, (international, although I know of no international flight into Des Moines) airport.
Seated on I35 and I80 makes Des Moines a cross road to the major cities of Omaha, Kansas City, Minniapolis and Chicago. Employment prospects are good, property prices are very affordable and rental properies are average if not slightly lower for a State capital.
You may decry my opinion, thats up to you. If your looking for a singles high life with 24/7 party people, Des Moines is not the
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