Everyone wants to know that when they make a move, their lives in their new city are going to be somehow better. Perhaps they'll have more money or better friends or an improved quality of life. For someone who had enough money to do equestrian in London, Ontario, that's a tall order. You should always do your research into the quality of life in the city of your choosing. If Des Moines, Iowa is on your list of possibilities, this article should help you get an overview of what your life would be like if you were to move there.
A major factor that plays into quality of life is money. If a city doesn't have money, it doesn't have jobs to offer to new residents, and new residents won't have the money to buy things that will improve their overall satisfaction with life. Des Moines is a city with money. It's a major center for the insurance industry, so even the depression in Toronto and other North American cities hasn't knocked out its industry. It's the #1 Best Place for Business on the Forbes Magazine list for 2010. It doesn't get better than that.
Cities with money are also able to build infrastructure that improves the lives of its citizens and helps them have a positive impression of their home. Des Moines went through two major jumps in infrastructure construction. The first City Beautiful movement in the 1920s gave the city a gorgeous Beaux-Arts riverfront. Currently commercial mortgage company funds are contributing to new improvements in the form of gardens and green spaces that give residents a sense of space and a place to go for recreation.
Des Moines is a relatively uncongested city because it's not hemmed in by other nearby cities. It's also got a lot of options for home buyers. Families are able to afford a nice suburban house without the parents having to put up with a long commute. Most people get to work in under 20 minutes. There are also duplex strainers and apartments and condos, but Des Moines is a very suburban, friendly city, which makes it a great place to live. It also has one of the most affordable housing markets in the United States.
Overall, residents of Des Moines, from insurance workers to drivers of industrial vehicles, are very happy with their lives, and magazines and websites have been sitting up to take notice. The city is ranked #10 on MSNBC's list of best mid-sized cities and #9 on a similar ranked list compiled by Portfolio.com. It's also been rated the 7th Best City for the Next Decade by Kiplinger Magazine, which means Des Moines is going to stay a great pick in the future.
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