Head to Head
Seattle, WA vs Des Moines, IA
Seattle leads with a Fun Score of 100, ahead by 23 points. Across 23 individual factors, Seattle wins 15 and Des Moines wins 8.
- Factor wins — Seattle
- 15 of 23
- Tied
- 0
- Factor wins — Des Moines
- 8 of 23
| Factor | Seattle, WA | Des Moines, IA |
|---|---|---|
| What lifts the score | ||
| Eats | 87 Best | 39 |
| Drinks | 90 Best | 80 |
| Coffee | 91 Best | 35 |
| Live Music | 91 Best | 87 |
| Star Power | 86 Best | 56 |
| Outdoors | 68 | 78 Best |
| Culture | 64 | 75 Best |
| Events | 91 Best | 85 |
| Sports | 89 Best | 86 |
| Unique Hangouts | 88 Best | 45 |
| City Vibe | 74 Best | 59 |
| Climate | 88 Best | 29 |
| Transit Quality | 89 Best | 26 |
| Walkability | 92 Best | 52 |
| Higher Education | 59 | 90 Best |
| Bike & Micromobility | 91 Best | 75 |
| What weighs it down (lower score = better) | ||
| Crime | 88 | 61 Best |
| Traffic | 77 | 19 Best |
| Air Quality | 5 Best | 90 |
| Disaster Risk | 85 | 23 Best |
| Weather Extremes | 0 Best | 71 |
| Economic Strain | 36 | 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 →