2025 Compare Cities Rankings:
Irvine, CA vs Des Moines, IA

#2 Most Comfortable Summer Cities

#2 Top 10 Cities to Beat the Heat

#43 Best Cities for Board Gamers

#47 Gloomiest Places in America

#50 America's Top Hygge Cities

#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

We've lived in Irvine since '87. We have raised two children within the ISUD. Both are grown up. Sure, there have been many changes since then.. the City has  More

I've lived in Irvine for 2 years and in Orange County for 10 so I'm pretty familiar with the area by now and all it has to offer. Perhaps my review of this place has  More

I wouldn't live elsewhere. I originally moved to Irvine in 2002 from the Midwest, not knowing what it even was. I left and moved around a great deal locally in OC,  More

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