Parenting magazine has named Iowa’s capitol city as among the best places in the country to raise a family. The magazine ranks Des Moines at number five on its list of the 100 “best cities for families.”
The magazine declares: “Iowa isn’t just corn and politics.” It singles out Des Moines for parks, trails and its low unemployment rate. The Science Center of Iowa gets a mention, as do “the clear night skies of the Iowa plains for stargazing.”
No other Iowa city made the top 100 list. Nearby cities like Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska, did, as did St. Louis and Kansas City. The Twin Cities were ranked ahead of Des Moines, at number four on the “best cities for families” list. Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was ranked 60th. Chicago was 73rd.