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→Milwaukee
Milwaukee is beer (the Pabst and Miller legacy still hangs in the air), bratwurst (with the proper amount of mustard, please), and a Lake Michigan shoreline that goes on forever. Frozen custard is a regional specialty and a serious one. The Calatrava-designed art museum has wings that literally open and close on Lake Michigan. Friendly here means you'll have a new friend by the second beer.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,268/mo
$1,504/mo
$236/mo more than Des Moines (16%)
Median home price
Median home price
$300k
$394k
$95k more than Des Moines
State income tax
State income tax
6.0%
6.3%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,565/mo
$6,307/mo
Des Moines has $258/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
149 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
62 days
days below 20°F per year
Des Moines has 7 more days above 95°F each year than Milwaukee. Milwaukee drops below 20°F on 7 more days per year than Des Moines.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
55 / 100
61 / 100
6.0 pts ahead of Des Moines
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
17 routes
30 routes
13 more direct routes than Des Moines
Metro size
Metro size
737k metro
1.6M metro
Des Moines has 1.5x fewer events per month than Milwaukee.
the verdict
5
Des Moines
categories won
3
Milwaukee
categories won
Des Moines wins on money. Milwaukee has the edge on lifestyle.
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