Des Moines Ranked Among Top 100 Best-Performing US Cities in 2026
- The Des Moines–West Des Moines metropolitan area has been recognized for its economic performance, ranking No.
- Metropolitan areas based on 13 key indicators, including job and wage growth, the performance of the high-tech sector, housing affordability, broadband access, and community resilience.
- Between 2019 and 2024, the Des Moines–West Des Moines metro experienced 7% job growth.
Des Moines Area Ranks Among Top Performing Cities in U.S.
The Des Moines–West Des Moines metropolitan area has been recognized for its economic performance, ranking No. 100 in the Milken Institute’s 2026 Best-Performing Cities (BPC) Index. This placement positions the area within Tier 3 of the index’s five-tier ranking system.
The annual index evaluates 411 U.S. Metropolitan areas based on 13 key indicators, including job and wage growth, the performance of the high-tech sector, housing affordability, broadband access, and community resilience. The report, released today, , highlights several positive trends within the Des Moines area.
Between 2019 and 2024, the Des Moines–West Des Moines metro experienced 7% job growth. More recently, from 2023 to 2024, job growth was recorded at 1.2%, although a slight short-term dip of -0.6% was also noted. Wage growth has been substantial, increasing 32.7% over the past five years and 3.5% in the most recent year-over-year measurement.
The area’s high-tech sector also demonstrates strong performance. High-tech GDP increased by 55.9% from 2019 to 2024 and by 6.5% from 2023 to 2024. The metro area has a high-tech location quotient of 0.6, indicating a concentration of high-tech industries. Specifically, two high-tech industries within the region exceed a location quotient of 1, suggesting they are more concentrated than the national average.
Affordability and access are also strengths of the Des Moines area. The report indicates that 75% of households have access to affordable housing, and 93% of households have broadband access.
Other Iowa metropolitan areas were also included in the 2026 BPC Index. Ames ranked No. 68 (Tier 3), while Iowa City came in at No. 122 (Tier 3). Dubuque, Sioux City, and Waterloo–Cedar Falls all ranked in Tier 4, at positions 170, 171, and 177 respectively. Cedar Rapids and Davenport–Moline–Rock Island were both placed in Tier 5, ranking at No. 188 and No. 192.
The full report, including an interactive map, is available at milkeninstitute.org.