01 · the cities
Miami
Miami is Spanish before it's English, salsa before it's small talk, and a cortadito before it's a coffee. South Beach Art Deco glows pink at night, Wynwood is a city-sized mural, and the Cuban sandwiches in Little Havana could end fights. Summer is bath-warm ocean and ceiling fans turned up high, and October feels like everywhere else's perfect August. Bring linen.
full dispatch→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→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,665/mo
$1,268/mo
$1,397/mo less than Miami (110%)
Median home price
Median home price
$565k
$300k
$265k less than Miami
State income tax
State income tax
0%
6.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$5,668/mo
$6,565/mo
Des Moines has $897/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
272 days
151 days
121 fewer than Miami
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
7 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
55 days
days below 20°F per year
Des Moines has 7 more days above 95°F each year than Miami. Des Moines drops below 20°F on 55 more days per year than Miami.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
77 / 100
55 / 100
22.0 pts behind Miami
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
167 routes
17 routes
150 fewer direct routes than Miami
Metro size
Metro size
6.2M metro
737k metro
Miami has 21.4x more events per month than Des Moines.
the verdict
6
Miami
categories won
3
Des Moines
categories won
Miami wins on weather and lifestyle. Des Moines has the edge on money.
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