Austin, TX vs Des Moines, IA

Side-by-side comparison of housing, income, commute, safety, and quality of life.

Score Snapshot

No universal winner

Scores summarize the published model. Use the objective metric differences below and your own priorities to choose.

Austin

68.3

#1322 nationally

Des Moines

80.8

#61 nationally

Austin leads in median household income ($91,461 vs $60,509). Des Moines leads in cost of living index (88 vs 129). Des Moines leads in average commute (19.2 min vs 26.8 min).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Austin, TX	Des Moines, IA
WhereAtHome Score	68.3 (#1322)	80.8 (#61)
Population	967,862	214,133
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$504,148	$212,006
Median Household Income	$91,461	$60,509
Average Commute	26.8 min	19.2 min
Walk Score	42	45
Crime Level	Moderate	Moderate
School Rating	7.2	7.2
Cost of Living Index	129	88
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+39.3	D+10.9