2025 Compare Cities Rankings:
Des Moines, IA vs Menlo Park, CA

#2 Most Secure Places to Live in the U.S. (Large Metro Areas)

#6 The Best Cities to Relocate to in America

#12 America's Migraine Hot Spots

#19 Most Secure Places to Live 2011 (Large Metros)

#20 Most Secure Large Cities in the U.S.

#35 Best Block Party Places

#52 2005 Best Places to Live

#54 Most Comfortable Summer Cities

#67 America's Best and Worst Cities for Crime (Mid-Size Metro Areas)

#88 Most Popular Cities for the Holidays

#93 Drought-Riskiest Cities

#145 Best Green Cities

#1 Best Baseball Cities

#1 Most and Least Risky Places for Identity Theft

#1 America’s Least Manly Cities

#1 Most Competitive Public Colleges

#1 Cities on the Edge of Greatness

#1 The Most Single Cities

#1 Best States for LGBTQ Rights

#2 Metro Areas with Fastest Rising Income 2020

#3 Best Cities for Seniors 2005

#3 Healthiest Cities

#3 Most Difficult Cities to Navigate

#4 America's Most Playful Cities

#4 America's Riskiest Online Cities

#5 Best-Rested Cities 2011

#5 Best Cities for Teleworking - Extra Large Metro Areas

#5 America’s Best Cities for Foodies

#6 Most Comfortable Summer Cities

#6 Top 10 Cities to Beat the Heat

#6 Best and Worst Airports to make a Connection List

#7 Safest Cities for Families with Young Children

#7 Best US Cities for Seniors 2011

#8 Failure To Lunch

#8 Most Secure Large Cities in the U.S.

#10 Best Airports to Make a Connection

#13 Stressful Cities 2012

#17 High Gas Prices - Which Cities are Hit the Hardest?

#19 Best Green Cities

#19 The Most (and Least) Gender Imbalanced Cities

#19 America’s Best (and Worst) Cities for Dating

#23 Gloomiest Places in America

#24 America's Most (and Least) Stressful Cities (100 Largest Metro Areas)

#24 Most Irritation Prone Cities

#25 Sperlings Skincare Wrinkle Ranking

#26 Best and Worst Cities for Sleep

#26 America's Best and Worst Cities for Crime (Large Metro Areas)

#28 America’s Manliest Sports Cities

#29 Fiscally Fit Cities Report

#31 Best Block Party Places

#34 Drought-Riskiest Cities

#37 Most Romantic Cities for Boomers

#37 America's Top Hygge Cities

#38 Wrinkle Ranking Cities Most at Risk for Skin Damage by 2040

#40 Most Popular Cities for the Holidays

#42 Best Cities for Board Gamers

#42 Sleep in the City Study

#43 Second Annual “America’s Manliest Cities” Rankings

#44 America’s Manliest Cities

#45 Most Energetic Cities

#46 Sleepless Cities 2011

#47 Americas Manliest Cites 2011

#50 Hypertension Hot Spots

#57 2005 High Gas Prices

#96 America's Migraine Hot Spots

#107 2005 Best Places to Live

Des Moines is a ok and pretty quiet place but as a teen it could be dramatic because Des Moines do have is fair or violents places to avoid in Des Moines would be the  More

This city is violent, there are too many gangs especially on the north  More

Good for the old that like slow pace and cheap buffets. Also good for non-descript mid-westerners that don't like a lot of action. No nightlife or mountains to hike  More

Cost of living is beyond absurdly  More

Very nice. Good connection to San Francisco or San Jose or any city in between via Caltrain or bus. Weather can't be  More

My 14mo daughter, wife and I live in Menlo Park, CA which is approximately half way between San Francisco and San Jose. To afford an upper middle class quality of life  More