West Des Moines ranked 13th most livable small city in USA by Smart Asset

West Des Moines was selected 13th out of 281 small cities that were recently studied by Smart Asset for various traits of being “livable.”

Here is how West Des Moines faired:

• Housing costs as a percent of income: 17.9%
• Median monthly housing costs: $1,277
• Median household income: $85,731
• Poverty rate: 7.8%
• County unemployment rate: 2.9%
• Residents covered by health insurance: 94.5%
• Mean commute time in minutes: 17.6
• Concentration of accommodation and food service businesses: 8.8%
• Concentration of arts, entertainment, and recreation businesses: 1.5%
• Concentration of healthcare businesses: 10.7%

Livability is subjective and means different things to different people. However, some elements are standard such as housing affordability, the spread of business offerings, financial standing and unemployment levels, average commute times and healthcare coverage can all affect the well-being and comfort of the community as a whole.