10 Cities With the Highest and Lowest Real Incomes

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Forbes also ranked Des Moines no. 1 for young professionals: http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/power-your-future/america-best-cities-young-professionals-185412024.html
Gap between rich and poor in Des Moines is much less than in coastal cities. $1.5 billion into downtown investment in recent years. Low crime rate. Good public schools. Little pollution. Short commutes. Friendly Mid-Western culture. Low unemployment rate compared with most of US.

David Skidmore of IA 12:57PM January 22, 2012

Worcester is third highest while Springfield is close to the bottom? ...weird, especially considering the cost of living must be close to equal.

Peter Cloutier of NH 6:37PM July 24, 2011

Great article representing the midwest with the exception of this quote made obviously bu someone who has never been here and also doesn't realize the value of a cornfield...
"It's always more expensive to repurpose land than to build on virgin land that was just a cornfield before,"

nicky hallenbeck of IA 11:01AM June 08, 2011

Worcester, MA is all about mediocrety. It's an industrial dump.

Brian of MA 7:57PM June 07, 2011

Des Moines is one of the best kept secrets in the country. Great place to raise a family, good business environment and relatively low unemployment, lots of cultural events, natural beauty and strong midwestern values. The pulse of the political scene for Presidential elections every two year (Yes, 2 becasue they start it early here!) It truly is the Heartland of the US. And remember the movie Field of Dreams, "Is this Heaven? No, It's Iowa!"

afsqkbs of IA 7:22AM June 06, 2011

It's scary that Washington DC is so high on the list - the only industry they have is government and military. They don't produce wealth, they only suck money out of the rest of the country, distribute it to their cronies, and blow up stuff.

Jay of CA 10:07PM June 05, 2011

It still amazes me, as much as we talk about quality and not quantity that should underscore our lives that we have not fully understood the importance of subjectifying life instead of objectifying it . But here is yet another article touting the dollar value of everything. An example is a person who loves the casual beach life in Honolulu and will forsake home ownership to live in a shack on the beach. Is that wrong? For others, it may well be the security of owning a house and having a specific salary. For others, it may be the remoteness from other people on less income. Others of course will never be satisfied.

sinjin of PA 3:36PM June 05, 2011

Iowa should use some of that surplus cash to hire spelling teachers for its wealthy citizens.

lee of CA 3:23PM June 05, 2011

HALF OF ALL PEOPLE IN DES MOINES WRITE IN ALL CAPS! DUE TO OUR LOW COST OF LIVING WE CAN AFFORD OTHER LUXURIES LIKE ABOVE GROUND SWIMMING POOLS, QUICHE THREE NIGHTS A WEEK.... AND OF COURSE, ALL CAPS ALL THE TIME!
OVERUSE OF THE EXCLAMATION POINT IS ALSO FAVORED!
-- TODD IN DES MOINES (!)

Todd of IA 2:26PM June 03, 2011

We moved to Iowa in 2006 from Orange County. One of the best decisions we've made and still happy about it. Hello to the other former Californians--we could do without the Winter, though--but it does ad variety.

Bob Anderson of IA 12:41PM June 03, 2011