Des Moines named #1 most-livable bargain real estate market

MSN Real Estate has named Des Moines the #1 city in the country for affordability and quality of life:

Des Moines may be one of the best and most overlooked places to jump-start your career. The economy of this Midwestern state capital is solid, with a large number of well-paying jobs in the insurance, bioscience and agribusiness fields. Yet the median house costs just $150,000. Forbes has ranked it one of the best places for business and careers three years running.

It has some of the cleanest air in the country, its residents report low stress levels and there’s enough outdoor recreation, culture and fine art to keep most people happy (its Art Center was designed by I.M. Pei). “There’s so many things that are accessible here,” says Lauren Burt of the Greater Des Moines Partnership. “There’s a lot of volunteerism and ways to be engaged with the community.”

Here’s how MSN selected the cities:

MSN Real Estate asked Bert Sperling of Sperling’s Best Places to evaluate the most affordable housing markets from the 100 largest U.S. metro areas and pinpoint 10 of the most livable areas: places where unemployment is low, commute times are mercifully short and there are enough interesting entertainment and cultural amenities to keep most people busy and satisfied. We defined affordability by the ratio of median income to median home price.