Omaha is a smaller version of KC. The DM metro is like Johnson Count, KS. You can't go wrong in either 3 imo. I never thought I'd live on the KS side down here but Shawnee is kind of a cool little suburb.
We lived in Omaha for 5+ years right after school. This was almost 20 years ago, but that town was boring AF back then. It was a decent place to live (cheap, bigger airport than DSM, etc). But you basically had the CWS for two weeks in the summer and the zoo. That was pretty much it save for an occasional concert.
Omaha is booming right now. They and DM go back and forth for being that "medium-size" city
Correct. Omaha sucks. Nobody move to Omaha, it's got nothing going for it. Move to KC or somewhere else please. Nothing to see here
KC, Stl, Pit, Cinci, and Cleveland are all about 2.2-2 4 million or so in the metro. I agree they are on the small side of major cities. Omaha has way more diversity and culture than DM. It just does.
When we first moved to Omaha, there was no CWS stadium. They had just built what was then the "Qwest Center." They built CWS while we lived there. Since then, they've added the zoo expansion, and all the new stuff by the stadium, and all the stuff on the riverfront.
It's booming. Way more than Des Moines right now in terms of big projects.
I still think there's a huge step change between DM/Omaha and places like KC and StL. I suppose having a sports focus that tends to skew my viewpoint a lot, so major pro sports seem to be my primary indicator.
I also think people don't realize that the cost of living in the DM metro isn't that great. When we stupidly moved back to Iowa from the CO, people always assumed it was great to escape the high prices from the mythical mass migrations from CA. Interestingly I met people that came from about every state, and I don't think I met a single CA transplant. Lots of former midwesterners.
Being close to ISU sporting events has always been a big seller of DM to me for sure. The property taxes in Central Iowa aren't cheap. At this point in my life I just have more family and friends within an hour or so of KC. It's insane how large some of this countries metros have gotten. I mean greater KC is 3x what greater DM is yet greater PHX must be 3x what greater KC is. It takes a solid hour and 30 min. to get from Apache Junction to Glendale even.
In CO my property taxes were way cheaper, and sales tax is less than half. State income taxes were pretty similar. Housing was about the same at the time, but has since separated. Still not that big of a difference.
I wouldn't call Peosta a suburb of DBQ. Bedroom community, sure.
I would absolutely call Norwalk a suburb of Des Moines.
In reality, my wife and I saw our families quite a bit even living 11 hours away. Being in a place people liked to visit helped. There was also a special draw since my Dad was stationed there and my folks nearly decided to settle in CO after he got out of the Army.
I would have moved to MSP years ago if I could handle the winters. Great city. I loved living in PHX but as a union worker in a non-union state it just got old. I think picking a location or any place in general is based on the individual. You may have reasons to live somewhere that I may not find as important. The real key is to find a place that you aren't miserable. One of the reasons I like KC to is because there are a lot of ISU grads here.
