Head to Head
Madison, WI vs Des Moines, IA
Madison leads with a Fun Score of 96, ahead by 19 points. Across 23 individual factors, Madison wins 13 and Des Moines wins 8, with 2 tied.
- Factor wins — Madison
- 13 of 23
- Tied
- 2
- Factor wins — Des Moines
- 8 of 23
| Factor | Madison, WI | Des Moines, IA |
|---|---|---|
| What lifts the score | ||
| Eats | 74 Best | 39 |
| Drinks | 84 Best | 80 |
| Coffee | 76 Best | 35 |
| Live Music | 74 | 87 Best |
| Star Power | 59 Best | 56 |
| Outdoors | 88 Best | 78 |
| Culture | 68 | 75 Best |
| Events | 55 | 85 Best |
| Sports | 66 | 86 Best |
| Unique Hangouts | 91 Best | 45 |
| City Vibe | 62 Best | 59 |
| Climate | 25 | 29 Best |
| Transit Quality | 78 Best | 26 |
| Walkability | 83 Best | 52 |
| Higher Education | 90 | 90 |
| Bike & Micromobility | 89 Best | 75 |
| What weighs it down (lower score = better) | ||
| Crime | 25 Best | 61 |
| Traffic | 18 Best | 19 |
| Air Quality | 81 Best | 90 |
| Disaster Risk | 28 | 23 Best |
| Weather Extremes | 89 | 71 Best |
| Economic Strain | 29 | 26 Best |
| Going-Out Cost | 8 | 8 |
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 →