Head to Head
Washington, DC vs Des Moines, IA
Washington leads with a Fun Score of 89, ahead by 12 points. Across 23 individual factors, Washington wins 14 and Des Moines wins 9.
- Factor wins — Washington
- 14 of 23
- Tied
- 0
- Factor wins — Des Moines
- 9 of 23
| Factor | Washington, DC | Des Moines, IA |
|---|---|---|
| What lifts the score | ||
| Eats | 86 Best | 39 |
| Drinks | 86 Best | 80 |
| Coffee | 88 Best | 35 |
| Live Music | 88 Best | 87 |
| Star Power | 91 Best | 56 |
| Outdoors | 77 | 78 Best |
| Culture | 76 Best | 75 |
| Events | 90 Best | 85 |
| Sports | 90 Best | 86 |
| Unique Hangouts | 61 Best | 45 |
| City Vibe | 56 | 59 Best |
| Climate | 65 Best | 29 |
| Transit Quality | 92 Best | 26 |
| Walkability | 86 Best | 52 |
| Higher Education | 44 | 90 Best |
| Bike & Micromobility | 90 Best | 75 |
| What weighs it down (lower score = better) | ||
| Crime | 71 | 61 Best |
| Traffic | 88 | 19 Best |
| Air Quality | 92 | 90 Best |
| Disaster Risk | 52 | 23 Best |
| Weather Extremes | 32 Best | 71 |
| Economic Strain | 73 | 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 →