Des Moines is a Midwestern gem

Few cities in the U.S. can compare to Des Moines, Iowa in terms of job market and socioeconomic environment. In fact, Forbes reported on a poll from WalletHub that ranked Des Moines as the second best city to find and keep a job out of the 150 most populous metropolitan areas in the nation. The poll took into account factors like job opportunities, median salary and housing affordability.

Better still, the Iowa capital city ranked number one on Gallup's study analyzing cities' payroll-to-population ratio, according to Business Record. The goal of Gallup's report is to obtain an accurate measure of a city's employment health and, therefore, economic standing.

"This is a strong indicator of job growth in general," Jay Byers, CEO of the Greater Des Moines Partnership, who attended the presentation, told Business Record. "We feel this is a better measure of employment rate."

Without a doubt, these rankings show Des Moines to be an exemplary city.

Des Moines sets the standard for the Midwestern city
Nearby metropolises have noticed Des Moines' successful model and have even taken measures to emulate it, reported the Journal-Gazette of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Indeed, Fort Wayne is one of several cities that have paid Des Moines a visit in order to find out why the Iowa city has seen such recent success.

The secret? A young, educated population, a vibrant downtown, and cultural diversity, to name a few. Des Moines has been cited as the best city for young professionals, the best place for businesses and careers and the best area for the LGBT community, among others. But there are more tangible aspects that help Des Moines succeed.

It's a capital city, which attracts more business and travel than non-capitals - as evidenced by the much higher airport traffic in Des Moines than nearby Fort Wayne. Additionally, two major interstates - running North-to-South and East-to-West - converge in the Des Moines city center. Plus, the city is home to a number of financial and insurance companies that help boost the average salary.

"The city of Des Moines is filled with anecdotes of people who either grew up here in Des Moines or have been schooled in Des Moines then leave to go have bigger experiences in Chicago, Minneapolis or D.C., L.A., New York," John Smith, vice president of alumni and development at Drake University in Des Moines, told the Journal-G