Des Moines is the 10th best capital city to live in, WalletHub says

[TBoneTX 45,570]

Austin at #1 is a joke.  Not affordable in the slightest, and gridlocked traffic around the clock.  Not even pleasant to visit.  In addition, I'd rank Little Rock even lower.

 

What do we think about this list?

Quote

Des Moines is the 10th best capital city to live in, WalletHub says

Aaron Calvin, Des Moines Register
Published 1:53 p.m. CT Feb. 19, 2019 | Updated 1:54 p.m. CT Feb. 19, 2019

Another report from a national ranking service, another Top 10 finish for Iowa.

 

WalletHub, a credit reporting and financial advisement website, says Des Moines is the nation's 10th best capital city to live in.

 

Austin, Texas, tops the survey, which considered factors including affordability, economic well-being, quality of education, health and quality of life.

 

Midwest capitals finishing higher than Des Moines: Madison, Wisconsin (fourth) and Lincoln, Nebraska (fifth).

 

Story continues: https://www.press-citizen.com/story/news/2019/02/19/best-places-to-live-work-education-health-life-des-moines-iowa-capital-city-wallethub-cost-of-living/2913893002/

 

Edited February 20, 2019 by TBoneTX

[millefleur 5,047]

Are capital cities usually regarded as desirable places to live? I've always just assumed they were for people who want to work for the state and focus their careers on that.

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

4 hours ago, TBoneTX said:

Austin at #1 is a joke.  Not affordable in the slightest, and gridlocked traffic around the clock.  Not even pleasant to visit.  In addition, I'd rank Little Rock even lower.

 

What do we think about this list?

Austin may well be #1 among capital cities to live.  That being said, I wouldn’t really want to live in ANY capital city in the US, except perhaps Juneau.

[Steeleballz 7,550]

 

  Denver is way too expensive to be in the top 10. I don't care what else they measured. I know people that work 50-60 hours a week just to pay rent and food. Quality of life metrics don't really translate when life consists of sleeping and going to work.

[millefleur 5,047]

22 minutes ago, Steeleballz said:

Denver is way too expensive to be in the top 10. I don't care what else they measured. I know people that work 50-60 hours a week just to pay rent and food. Quality of life metrics don't really translate when life consists of sleeping and going to work.

Totally agree about Denver....one of the weirdest American cities I've visited. So much land and space there and yet everyone is living in extremely overpriced crammed new construction townhomes because they are the only remotely affordable option for buyers. There are aggressive bidding wars over single family houses that go up for sale...and for what? The mountains are a far drive away, the downtown is mediocre compared to other major American cities....I did not understand the appeal at all. 🤷‍♀️

[Steeleballz 7,550]

4 minutes ago, millefleur said:

Totally agree about Denver....one of the weirdest American cities I've visited. So much land and space there and yet everyone is living in extremely overpriced crammed new construction townhomes because they are the only remotely affordable option for buyers. There are aggressive bidding wars over single family houses that go up for sale...and for what? The mountains are a far drive away, the downtown is mediocre compared to other major American cities....I did not understand the appeal at all. 🤷‍♀️

 

   Hint: You can put it in your pipe and smoke it. 

 

   The beginning of the recent population influx correlates closely with the legalization of marijuana. Although I think there has been a slight exodus recently. The job market has been pretty consistent here too, even when the economy wasn't great overall. 

[TBoneTX 45,570]

13 hours ago, millefleur said:

Are capital cities usually regarded as desirable places to live? I've always just assumed they were for people who want to work for the state and focus their careers on that.

You've just put into words an "answer" that I'd not come up with in crystallized terms.  This makes perfect sense.

[TBoneTX 45,570]

5 hours ago, Steeleballz said:

Denver is way too expensive to be in the top 10. I don't care what else they measured. I know people that work 50-60 hours a week just to pay rent and food. Quality of life metrics don't really translate when life consists of sleeping and going to work.

I was shaking my head over this, too.

[TBoneTX 45,570]

5 hours ago, ALFKAD said:

Juneau

Never been (or to Alaska at all).  Anyplace that features snow more often than once in a blue moon is off my own list.

[millefleur 5,047]

Just remembered my favorite capital city: Santa Fe, New Mexico. It probably didn't rank high on the list due to the depressed economy the state suffers from but...nevertheless, awesome little city.

[TBoneTX 45,570]

Hard to get to, si MF ma'am, but an attractive city, and a pretty drive up from Albuquerque in non-winter.

 

Years ago, I saw a list of city populations, and something like just about half of the states had a capital city that was also their largest city.  I remember that West Virginia was nearly tied (Charleston vs. Huntington); wonder if it still is.