Head to Head

Minneapolis, MN vs Des Moines, IA

Minneapolis leads with a Fun Score of 87, ahead by 10 points. Across 23 individual factors, Minneapolis wins 11 and Des Moines wins 10, with 2 tied.

Factor wins — Minneapolis
11 of 23
Tied
2
Factor wins — Des Moines
10 of 23
Factor Minneapolis, MN Des Moines, IA
What lifts the score
Eats 77 Best
39
Drinks 80
80
Coffee 84 Best
35
Live Music 89 Best
87
Star Power 84 Best
56
Outdoors 66
78 Best
Culture 79 Best
75
Events 89 Best
85
Sports 83
86 Best
Unique Hangouts 65 Best
45
City Vibe 43
59 Best
Climate 23
29 Best
Transit Quality 85 Best
26
Walkability 90 Best
52
Higher Education 84
90 Best
Bike & Micromobility 88 Best
75
What weighs it down (lower score = better)
Crime 89
61 Best
Traffic 39
19 Best
Air Quality 72 Best
90
Disaster Risk 63
23 Best
Weather Extremes 74
71 Best
Economic Strain 49
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 →