01 · the cities
Des Moines
Des Moines is the Iowa State Fair every August (think butter cows, deep-fried everything, and the political circus of every presidential cycle), insurance industry stability, and a downtown that's grown into a genuinely good food and brewery scene. The East Village neighborhood is the cool kid pocket. The whole city is bikeable. Friendly, affordable, and chronically underestimated.
full dispatch→Buffalo
Buffalo invented the wing (Anchor Bar, 1964, midnight, blue cheese, celery, not negotiable) and that should tell you most of what you need to know about the city's spirit. The Bills Mafia jumps through tables in subzero parking lots. Niagara Falls is 20 minutes away. The architecture (Sullivan, Wright, Olmsted parks) is genuinely world-class. The snow is part of the local mythology and the locals wear it proudly.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,268/mo
$1,374/mo
$106/mo more than Des Moines (8%)
Median home price
Median home price
$300k
$280k
$20k less than Des Moines
State income tax
State income tax
6.0%
5.9%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,565/mo
$6,472/mo
Des Moines has $93/mo more gross after rent at $100k
Gross left after rent reflects state income tax but not federal, based on $100k salary. Enter your salary to find your ideal city.
03 · the weather
Pleasant days/yr
Pleasant days/yr
151 days
152 days
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
7 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
55 days
42 days
days below 20°F per year
Des Moines has 7 more days above 95°F each year than Buffalo. Des Moines drops below 20°F on 13 more days per year than Buffalo.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
55 / 100
66 / 100
11.0 pts ahead of Des Moines
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
17 routes
20 routes
3 more direct routes than Des Moines
Metro size
Metro size
737k metro
1.2M metro
Des Moines has 1.5x fewer events per month than Buffalo.
the verdict
2
Des Moines
categories won
6
Buffalo
categories won
Buffalo leads on weather and lifestyle and wins overall.
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