Population: 601,187
Average annual salary: $47,170
Quality of life: 6.8
Value: 8.5
Des Moines is drawing millennials and young families alike for its “one-of-a-kind shops, locally owned restaurants, and hip bars” as well as its historical residences in quiet neighborhoods, said a local expert. Home to more than 80 insurance companies including giants Allied Insurance and Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, the job market is thriving.