In 2025, Iowa’s capital city remains The Corn State’s attainable, opportunity-rich business hub. Its affordability has ascended even higher this year, ranking #7 in our Housing Affordability subcategory. In a city where industry titans like Wells Fargo, Google and Nationwide run court, rent for a one-bedroom apartment still hovers around $1,000. The Des Moines magic isn’t reserved for the Fortune 500, either. Small businesses here are thriving, thanks in part to a new 3.8% flat tax that took effect in 2025—reducing liabilities for most SMBs.
Even as the city adapts to remote work, Des Moines’s labor force is 5th in the nation for participation, with a lower unemployment rate than the national average, at 3.7% (and #19 in our rankings). That’s fertile ground for growth. Off the clock, this hard-working town finds peace in its 4,000-plus acres of #27-ranked green spaces. Come evening, its #51 nightlife—perhaps its best-kept secret—awakens, tempting visitors and locals alike with local beer (don’t leave without sipping a pint of Confluence Brewing’s Extinction Event 39 IPA), craft cocktails and live music at the famed Val Air Ballroom.