Des Moines has a river, an art museum, a symphony orchestra, an opera company, lots of insurance companies, and a botanical garden with a geodesic dome. It has buildings by I.M. Pei, Renzo Piano, as well as Eero Saarinen and his dad, Eliel. It has a gay bar called the Blazing Saddle.

There is a lot of buzz about Des Moines as a place for normal people with normal incomes to rent or buy normal homes and lead their lives.  Des Moines is one of those cities gentrifying its downtown. Great smells are spilling out, festivals are scheduled year-round, and rehabbed lofts are fetching high prices. In recent years, Des Moines has been named the best for young professionals (Forbes), families (Kiplinger), home renters (Time), businesses, and careers (Forbes). It has the highest community pride in the nation, according to a Gallup poll last year, and in October, it topped a Bloomberg analysis of which cities in the United States were doing the best at attracting millennials to buy housing.

Des Moines is a major hub of the US insurance industry, plus there are significant financial services and publishing sectors. As such, the downtown landscape is still filled with office buildings rather than walkable retail. Historic preservation has caught on now, but the city is catching up from the previous hollowing out.
It’s not big, just over 200,000 people. You need a car, but you won’t have to drive for long. 

From affordable, ample housing to easy-to-navigate interstates with little traffic, DSM is easy to live in. Cool restaurants, boutique movie theaters, and yoga studios — Des Moines has all those things, but you don’t have to spend 40 minutes stuck on an eight-lane freeway to get to them.


LookyLOO Review of Des Moines

Most people who live in Des Moines don’t actually live in Des Moines but rather in one of the city’s suburbs: Altoona, Ankeny, Beaverdale, Bondurant, Carlisle, Clive, Grimes, Johnston, Norwalk, Pleasant Hill, Polk City, Urbandale, Waukee, West Des Moines or Windsor Heights.

Lots of cute neighborhoods aside from downtown, like Waterbury, Beaverdale, Lower Beaver, and Sherman Hill. The "cool" place to live if you're single and young has to be the East Village side of downtown, several options for apartments/townhomes/lofts there, but you will pay more than other areas. Today, both young people and empty nesters are moving back to downtown and the adjacent East Village neighborhood into conversions and new buildings.

West Des Moines is “the place” for young, successful professionals. It’s very safe & homogenous, with little crime and good schools. Many of the older, historic neighborhoods like Waterbury or Waveland Heights outside Des Moines’ metro area are the most costly places to live. The least expensive neighborhoods are Fairground, King Irving Park, Kirkwood Glen, Carpenter, and Cheatom Park. 

Downtown is a favorite area for singles and young professionals, as well as couples not quite ready to set up shop on a common suburb-style subdivision. Many of the homes are modern, plus there’s a healthy mix of apartments, condos, and traditional single-family homes. While rent is a bit higher in this area than in Waterbury and other areas a bit further out, home prices, on average, are lower for those looking to own. This community is a popular place for families with young children. 

Check out the Des Moines [**calendar of events**](https://www.catchdesmoines.com/events/) to see what locals get up to year-round.

We highly recommend visiting Des Moines and staying in the community in a [VRBO](https://vrbo.com/affiliate/p4JS4ZC) rather than a hotel to get a feel for what it's like to live among the locals. You can receive discounted fares on travel via our [partnership with Expedia](expedia.com/affiliate/9NZ8LBQ) as well.

Lifestyle

Come for 80/35 music festival, stay for the massive farmer’s markets and an affordable Beaverdale Brick house. 


Why You Should Move Here Now?

**RebelliousSoup**
2y ago
🦉🦉🦉

Transplant
I had similar questions very recently so I have a bit of insight even though I don’t live there (yet).

Bout a month or two I came down for a wedding from Wisconsin and I fell in love.

The traffic is an absolute treasure, it was so slow I was literally dancing in the street lol. During my stay I ate at a bunch of places and visited a ton of spots and it was cool. I was then at this place called Zombie Burger (I love that cryptid, spooky shit) and I heard my favorite band playing over the speaker which gets absolutely no radio play (Slothrust) and it was like a sign for me.

So I looked into Des Moines. Compared to Madison, WI, the populations are about the same (200,000). Rent is much more affordable in Des Moines and pay is higher. My fiancé is an assisted living nurse (no degree) and makes $12 up here; in Des Moines they make $17-25. Same with my roommate, he makes $9 for a deli and in Des Moines they make $15-17. For me, I work as a custodian making $18.50 which is pretty good for the position, in Des Moines they pay $20

Also in comparison to Madison, traffic is much easier. The demographics of Des Moines are largely 28 - 55 yr olds so everyone basically just works. Madison is full to the damn brim with college kids.

For more reviews of what living in Des Moines is like from locals check out: [**The Reviews**](https://lookyloomove.com/locations/des-moines/reviews).




Reviews of Des Moines from Locals

**The Good, the Bad and The Ugly**

Des Moines has a river, an art museum, a symphony orchestra, an opera company, lots of insurance companies and a botanical garden with a geodesic dome. It has buildings by I.M. Pei, Renzo Piano as well as Eero Saarinen and his dad, Eliel.. It has a gay bar called the Blazing Saddle.

There is a lot of buzz about Des Moines, as a place for normal people with normal incomes to rent or buy normal homes and lead their lives.  Des Moines is one of those cities gentrifying its downtown. Great smells are spilling out, festivals are scheduled year-round and rehabbed lofts are fetching high prices. In recent years Des Moines has been named the best for young professionals (Forbes), families (Kiplinger), home renters (Time), businesses and careers (Forbes). It has the highest community pride in the nation, according to a Gallup poll last year, and in October topped a Bloomberg analysis of which cities in the United States were doing the best at attracting millennials to buy housing.

Des Moines is a major hub of the US insurance industry, plus there are significant financial services and publishing sectors. As such, the downtown landscape is still filled with office buildings rather than walkable retail. Historic preservation has caught on now but the city is catching up from the previous hollowing out.
It’s not big, just over 200,000 people. You need a car but you won’t have to drive for long. 

**The Best Thing About Des Moines?** 

From affordable, ample housing to easy-to-navigate interstates with little traffic, DSM is easy livin. Cool restaurants and boutique movie theaters and yoga studios — Des Moines has all those things, but you don’t have to spend 40 minutes stuck on an eight-lane freeway to get to them

**The Worst Thing About Des Moines?** 

Frigid winters, muggy summers and a small city holed up in between endless corn fields.

**How You Living?** 

Most people who live in Des Moines don’t actually live in Des Moines, but rather in one of the city’s suburbs: Altoona, Ankeny, Beaverdale, Bondurant, Carlisle, Clive, Grimes, Johnston, Norwalk, Pleasant Hill, Polk City, Urbandale, Waukee, West Des Moines or Windsor Heights.

Lots of cute neighborhoods aside from downtown like Waterbury, Beaverdale, Lower Beaver, Sherman Hill. The "cool" place to live if you're single and young has to be the East Village side of downtown, several options for apartments/townhomes/lofts there, but you will pay more than other areas. Today both young people and empty nesters are moving back to downtown and the adjacent East Village neighborhood, into conversions and new buildings.

West Des Moines is “the place” for young, successful professionals. It’s very safe & homogenous with little crime and good schools. Many of the older, historic neighborhoods like Waterbury or Waveland Heights outside Des Moines’ metro area are the most costly places to live. The least expensive neighborhoods are Fairground, King-Irving Park, Kirkwood Glen, Carpenter, and Cheatom Park. 

Downtown is a favorite area for singles and young professionals, as well as couples not quite ready to set up shop on a common suburb-style subdivision. Many of the homes are modern, plus there’s a healthy mix of apartments, condos, and traditional single-family homes. While rent is a bit higher in this area than Waterbury and other areas a bit further out, home prices on average are lower for those looking to own. This community is a popular place for families with young children. 
Just three miles from the heart of downtown, Ingersoll Park provides a more traditional, suburban-style living. Many of the homes are modeled after a turn of the century design, and while single-family units make up the majority of housing options, there are newer apartment complexes to rent. 
 
Greenwood is a popular place for affluent families with children. Most of the homes are cottage style with four to five bedrooms built in the 1800s.
 
Linden Heights is full of large modern and Craftsman style homes, many of which boast brick facades and big yards. 
 
Most of the houses in Westwood are Victorian-style homes and two- to three-story bungalows. There are also many rental options, including apartments inside older homes and recently built multi-unit buildings. A great thing about Westwood is the ability to find affordable rentals. The average rent prices in the neighborhood are lower than in the downtown area.
 
Salisbury Oaks feels historic, thanks to heavily wooded streets and quaint subdivisions. It’s a popular place for older residents.

**Why You Should Move Here Now?** 

Come for 80/35 music festival, stay for the massive farmer’s markets and an affordable Beaverdale Brick house. 


The East Village is dubbed “the closest thing to Brooklyn that Iowa has ever seen”. It has over 200 shops, restaurants, boutique shops and wonderful condos and loft-style apartment living options. The entire neighborhood is walkable and with all the great options for eating, drinking and shopping you’re going to want to get out and make those walks. 
- The East Village
- Western Gateway
- Historic Court District


Young Professionals

East Village

Sherman Hill is one of Des Moines oldest neighborhoods and it’s filled with artsy character. Beautiful historic homes surround one of the more interesting city centers in the region. Hoyt Sherman Place, originally a mansion, was converted into a theater, art gallery, and special events center, and it now serves as the most critical community space in this wonderful place. Those homes and that cultural center are also surrounded by cool boutique restaurants, cafes, and locally owned shops. 
- Sherman Hill
- Historic Valley Junction

DINKs/SINKs

Sherman Hill 

Des Moines doesn’t have a big LGBTQ+ community but it is concentrated in the Sherman Hill neighborhood. A draw for the straight community as well, Sherman Hill is filled with LGBTQ+ owned and friendly bars and restaurants as well as an active theater and arts scene. 
- Sherman Hill 


LGBTQ+

If you’re looking for a neighborhood with character then check out Waterbury first. The majority of the homes were built before 1939, which means the architecture is historic and charming. The neighborhood is incredibly safe, and has an extremely active homeowners association that ensures cultural and community activities throughout the year. It also has public schools rated among the highest in the city. 
- Waterbury
- Ingersoll Park
- Salisbury Oaks


Families

Waterbury

Des Moines

**RebelliousSoup**
2y ago
🦉🦉🦉

Transplant
I had similar questions very recently so I have a bit of insight even though I don’t live there (yet).

Bout a month or two I came down for a wedding from Wisconsin and I fell in love.

The traffic is an absolute treasure, it was so slow I was literally dancing in the street lol. During my stay I ate at a bunch of places and visited a ton of spots and it was cool. I was then at this place called Zombie Burger (I love that cryptid, spooky shit) and I heard my favorite band playing over the speaker which gets absolutely no radio play (Slothrust) and it was like a sign for me.

So I looked into Des Moines. Compared to Madison, WI, the populations are about the same (200,000). Rent is much more affordable in Des Moines and pay is higher. My fiancé is an assisted living nurse (no degree) and makes $12 up here; in Des Moines they make $17-25. Same with my roommate, he makes $9 for a deli and in Des Moines they make $15-17. For me, I work as a custodian making $18.50 which is pretty good for the position, in Des Moines they pay $20

Also in comparison to Madison, traffic is much easier. The demographics of Des Moines are largely 28 - 55 yr olds so everyone basically just works. Madison is full to the damn brim with college kids.

**xP628sLh**
2y ago
🦉🦉🦉

While Iowa is mostly white people, Des Moines is more racially diverse than it was; more like 85% white, 15% Black and brown populations.

There are all kinds of festivals in the summer, there are lots of parks (most are well maintained, some need some care), we don't have as many walkable city centers as I'd like but the East Village and Beaverdale are walkable. We have city bikes you can rent which is cool. Part of our garbage is sent to a town nearby (Ames, IA) for recycling.

Rent is much cheaper than the rest of the country, insurance companies have their headquarters in DSM so many of us work in that industry.

Iowa has our bigots and racists, you'll see confederate flags & Trump signs in some areas but most of us in town are pretty friendly and progressive.

**DaintyCabbage62**
8mo ago
🦉🦉🦉🦉

I’ve lived in Des Moines for about 3.5 years now so I am far from an expert but thought I’d offer my perspective. I grew up in Colorado before starting my journey to the Midwest through college that then brought me to Iowa.

Pretty great cost of living. One of the reasons I love Des Moines is that I can actually afford to live close to downtown. You can definitely find cheaper spots in the nearby suburbs and probably won’t have to commute more than 15 minutes either way. Don’t know where you found your numbers or what size you’re looking at, but you can find nice places for way cheaper.

Des Moines is a really liberal leaning and welcoming city. You’ll find some suburbs have more conservative views than others.

My first year here had the coldest winter I had ever experienced followed by the hottest summer I had ever experienced. The extremes are rough but don’t last forever. Im terrified to drive in the snow, so I don’t. Des Moines is so quick about clearing their snow and gets to all the residential streets - something that amazed me coming from Colorado.

Might just be because the weather has been really nice lately and we’ve had some gorgeous sunsets but I’ve been thinking about how much I love Des Moines lately. It’s not for everyone, I know I wouldn’t thrive in a big city. I love that I don’t have to spend any time in traffic. I love that I can sit on the glass at the Iowa Wild game for 20$. I love the people that live here. I think everyone can find a space here.

**weberc2**
8mo ago
🦉🦉🦉

I’ll second Des Moines being pretty great—moved from Chicago almost two years ago and no regrets so far. The main thing that’s weird to me is that so many of the locals seem almost ashamed of Des Moines; it doesn’t have a major sports team but there’s more to life. In particular Des Moines is affordable and there’s not much crime or poverty compared to other major cities. People treat each other well and take care of their city. My main grievance is the fixation with strip malls, chain stores/restaurants, and cookie cutter suburban housing developments—but you can largely escape that if you stick to Des Moines proper or maybe the closest suburbs. Would love to hear from others on the subject.

Des Moines, Iowa

Field Of Dreams

Looklyloo Score: 92