Head to Head
Charleston, SC vs Des Moines, IA
Charleston leads with a Fun Score of 96, ahead by 19 points. Across 23 individual factors, Charleston wins 13 and Des Moines wins 10.
- Factor wins — Charleston
- 13 of 23
- Tied
- 0
- Factor wins — Des Moines
- 10 of 23
| Factor | Charleston, SC | Des Moines, IA |
|---|---|---|
| What lifts the score | ||
| Eats | 86 Best | 39 |
| Drinks | 86 Best | 80 |
| Coffee | 81 Best | 35 |
| Live Music | 76 | 87 Best |
| Star Power | 65 Best | 56 |
| Outdoors | 75 | 78 Best |
| Culture | 90 Best | 75 |
| Events | 80 | 85 Best |
| Sports | 91 Best | 86 |
| Unique Hangouts | 72 Best | 45 |
| City Vibe | 83 Best | 59 |
| Climate | 80 Best | 29 |
| Transit Quality | 22 | 26 Best |
| Walkability | 37 | 52 Best |
| Higher Education | 80 | 90 Best |
| Bike & Micromobility | 12 | 75 Best |
| What weighs it down (lower score = better) | ||
| Crime | 20 Best | 61 |
| Traffic | 62 | 19 Best |
| Air Quality | 31 Best | 90 |
| Disaster Risk | 67 | 23 Best |
| Weather Extremes | 56 Best | 71 |
| Economic Strain | 14 Best | 26 |
| Going-Out Cost | 35 | 8 Best |
Scores are 0–100 percentile ranks. For drawback factors (crime, traffic, etc.) a lower number is better — the Best badge marks whichever city has less. Full methodology →