Head to Head
Richmond, VA vs Des Moines, IA
Richmond leads with a Fun Score of 85, ahead by 8 points. Across 23 individual factors, Richmond wins 12 and Des Moines wins 11.
- Factor wins — Richmond
- 12 of 23
- Tied
- 0
- Factor wins — Des Moines
- 11 of 23
| Factor | Richmond, VA | Des Moines, IA |
|---|---|---|
| What lifts the score | ||
| Eats | 85 Best | 39 |
| Drinks | 66 | 80 Best |
| Coffee | 71 Best | 35 |
| Live Music | 67 | 87 Best |
| Star Power | 70 Best | 56 |
| Outdoors | 64 | 78 Best |
| Culture | 88 Best | 75 |
| Events | 74 | 85 Best |
| Sports | 88 Best | 86 |
| Unique Hangouts | 77 Best | 45 |
| City Vibe | 58 | 59 Best |
| Climate | 54 Best | 29 |
| Transit Quality | 69 Best | 26 |
| Walkability | 76 Best | 52 |
| Higher Education | 77 | 90 Best |
| Bike & Micromobility | 54 | 75 Best |
| What weighs it down (lower score = better) | ||
| Crime | 70 | 61 Best |
| Traffic | 36 | 19 Best |
| Air Quality | 54 Best | 90 |
| Disaster Risk | 7 Best | 23 |
| Weather Extremes | 60 Best | 71 |
| Economic Strain | 71 | 26 Best |
| 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 →