Alternatives · Des Moines

Cities Like Des Moines for Investors

Des Moines is a low-cost, high-yield cash-flow balanced market. Below: the 8 markets in our coverage with the closest fundamentals, ranked by similarity score.

GEOGRAPHIC SPREAD: 8 OTHER STATES (AR, LA, NY, IN, MO, OK, KS, TX)

Des Moines baseline

What these alternatives are matched against.

Median home value$210,703
YoY appreciation+0.6%
Gross rent yield6.58%
Median days on market26.333333333333332
Market typeBalanced
Investor score78/100
Similar markets

Ranked by fundamentals similarity.

  1. 01
    Little Rock, AR
    little-rock-ar · SIMILARITY 100/100
    MEDIAN
    $217k
    YoY +2.8% Yield 6.61% DOM 39.833333333333336 Type Balanced Score 79/100
    WHY: same price tier · similar rent yield · similar market pace
  2. 02
    Baton Rouge, LA
    baton-rouge-la · SIMILARITY 96/100
    MEDIAN
    $231k
    YoY -0.3% Yield 6.98% DOM 32 Type Balanced Score 81/100
    WHY: same price tier · similar rent yield · similar market pace
  3. 03
    Buffalo, NY
    buffalo-ny · SIMILARITY 94/100
    MEDIAN
    $241k
    YoY +3.7% Yield 6.91% DOM 11.333333333333334 Type Balanced Score 55/100
    WHY: same price tier · similar rent yield · both balanced markets
  4. 04
    Fort Wayne, IN
    fort-wayne-in · SIMILARITY 94/100
    MEDIAN
    $246k
    YoY +2.5% Yield 6.01% DOM 13.666666666666666 Type Balanced Score 70/100
    WHY: same price tier · similar rent yield · both balanced markets
  5. 05
    Springfield, MO
    springfield-mo · SIMILARITY 94/100
    MEDIAN
    $245k
    YoY +2.1% Yield 5.90% DOM 15.333333333333334 Type Balanced Score 67/100
    WHY: same price tier · similar rent yield · both balanced markets
  6. 06
    Tulsa, OK
    tulsa-ok · SIMILARITY 94/100
    MEDIAN
    $220k
    YoY +2.8% Yield 6.81% DOM 24 Type Balanced Score 76/100
    WHY: same price tier · similar rent yield · both balanced markets
  7. 07
    Wichita, KS
    wichita-ks · SIMILARITY 94/100
    MEDIAN
    $204k
    YoY +2.8% Yield 6.58% DOM 11.666666666666666 Type Balanced Score 60/100
    WHY: same price tier · similar rent yield · both balanced markets
  8. 08
    El Paso, TX
    el-paso-tx · SIMILARITY 90/100
    MEDIAN
    $236k
    YoY +1.5% Yield 7.44% DOM 35 Type Balanced Score 68/100
    WHY: same price tier · similar market pace · both balanced markets
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FAQ

Frequently asked.

What makes a city "similar" to Des Moines for investors?

Similarity is scored on four fundamentals: price tier (typical home value bucket), rent yield (gross rent-to-price ratio), market pace (median days on market), and market type (buyer/seller/balanced). Same-state cities get a small penalty so the list surfaces geographic alternatives, not just neighbors.

Why would an investor look at similar cities instead of Des Moines?

Three common reasons: (1) Des Moines prices have moved past your acquisition budget and you need similar fundamentals at a lower price tier; (2) you're already deep in Des Moines and want to diversify into a different state without changing your underwriting playbook; (3) you suspect Des Moines is overheated and want comparable markets earlier in their cycle.

Are these alternatives ranked by overall investment quality?

No — they're ranked by similarity to Des Moines, not by absolute investor score. A market scoring 85/100 for similarity is "very similar to Des Moines" but might still be a worse or better deal in absolute terms. Click into each city's full report for the investor-score view.

What's the difference between this page and a head-to-head comparison?

Head-to-head (/compare/[a-vs-b]) is a deep one-on-one breakdown across all metrics. This alternatives page is a discovery layer — surfacing 8 markets with the closest fundamentals so you can identify candidates to deep-dive on next.

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