Head to Head
Denver, CO vs Des Moines, IA
Denver leads with a Fun Score of 83, ahead by 6 points. Across 23 individual factors, Denver wins 12 and Des Moines wins 11.
- Factor wins — Denver
- 12 of 23
- Tied
- 0
- Factor wins — Des Moines
- 11 of 23
| Factor | Denver, CO | Des Moines, IA |
|---|---|---|
| What lifts the score | ||
| Eats | 83 Best | 39 |
| Drinks | 88 Best | 80 |
| Coffee | 87 Best | 35 |
| Live Music | 91 Best | 87 |
| Star Power | 83 Best | 56 |
| Outdoors | 74 | 78 Best |
| Culture | 68 | 75 Best |
| Events | 87 Best | 85 |
| Sports | 76 | 86 Best |
| Unique Hangouts | 49 Best | 45 |
| City Vibe | 91 Best | 59 |
| Climate | 9 | 29 Best |
| Transit Quality | 72 Best | 26 |
| Walkability | 84 Best | 52 |
| Higher Education | 17 | 90 Best |
| Bike & Micromobility | 92 Best | 75 |
| What weighs it down (lower score = better) | ||
| Crime | 86 | 61 Best |
| Traffic | 70 | 19 Best |
| Air Quality | 91 | 90 Best |
| Disaster Risk | 34 | 23 Best |
| Weather Extremes | 64 Best | 71 |
| Economic Strain | 28 | 26 Best |
| Going-Out Cost | 82 | 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 →