Head to Head
Portland, OR vs Des Moines, IA
Portland leads with a Fun Score of 84, ahead by 7 points. Across 23 individual factors, Portland wins 12 and Des Moines wins 11.
- Factor wins — Portland
- 12 of 23
- Tied
- 0
- Factor wins — Des Moines
- 11 of 23
| Factor | Portland, OR | Des Moines, IA |
|---|---|---|
| What lifts the score | ||
| Eats | 87 Best | 39 |
| Drinks | 91 Best | 80 |
| Coffee | 90 Best | 35 |
| Live Music | 90 Best | 87 |
| Star Power | 81 Best | 56 |
| Outdoors | 58 | 78 Best |
| Culture | 65 | 75 Best |
| Events | 59 | 85 Best |
| Sports | 77 | 86 Best |
| Unique Hangouts | 74 Best | 45 |
| City Vibe | 20 | 59 Best |
| Climate | 86 Best | 29 |
| Transit Quality | 83 Best | 26 |
| Walkability | 92 Best | 52 |
| Higher Education | 15 | 90 Best |
| Bike & Micromobility | 93 Best | 75 |
| What weighs it down (lower score = better) | ||
| Crime | 90 | 61 Best |
| Traffic | 61 | 19 Best |
| Air Quality | 8 Best | 90 |
| Disaster Risk | 65 | 23 Best |
| Weather Extremes | 3 Best | 71 |
| Economic Strain | 53 | 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 →