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One nice thing about our (Iowa/Midwest) region....

torbee

HR King
Gold Member
It is super affordable. Des Moines and the QCA both make US News Top 25 best-affordable metro areas in the country. Peoria is also Top 10. Surprised Cedar Rapids wasn't on the list.

12. Des Moines, Iowa
des-moines-downtown-skyline-picture-id452264385

Best Places 2022 Rank: 14
Metro Population: 690,585
Average Annual Salary: $55,660
Income Spent on Living Expenses: 21.03%
Des Moines has long been known for its low cost of living and has scored high in the Best Affordable Places to Live ranking since the list's inception in 2016. A rising cost of living has led Des Moines to fall out of the 10 most affordable list for the first time. Des Moines residents spend 21.03% of the median annual household income on living costs.



4. Quad Cities – Davenport-Bettendorf, Iowa, and Moline-Rock Island, Illinois
Downtown-Davenport2.jpg


Best Places 2022 Rank: 53
Metro Population: 380,274
Average Annual Salary: $50,160
Income Spent on Living Expenses: 20.24%
This metro area straddles the state line between Iowa and Illinois, and residents of both states benefit from an overall low cost of living in the Quad Cities area. Residents throughout the area, which includes Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa, and Moline and Rock Island, Illinois, spend just 20.24% of the median household income on housing.
 
Not sure you have much room to criticize any cities coming from Ottumwa el diablo! If this aggression continues Rudolph and I will have to whoop your ass and sex your women.

All kidding aside...Even though I happily left "the P" when I graduated in the late 90's I'll always stick up for my hometown
 
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I haven't been to the QC in long time. The transformation of DSM and the future plans on east side of the river really quite astonishing. DSM was a shite hole at one time.
 
I haven't been to the QC in long time. The transformation of DSM and the future plans on east side of the river really quite astonishing. DSM was a shite hole at one time.
QC still has plenty of warts. But there are lots of people actively trying to make it a better place to live.
 
It is super affordable. Des Moines and the QCA both make US News Top 25 best-affordable metro areas in the country. Peoria is also Top 10. Surprised Cedar Rapids wasn't on the list.

12. Des Moines, Iowa
des-moines-downtown-skyline-picture-id452264385

Best Places 2022 Rank: 14
Metro Population: 690,585
Average Annual Salary: $55,660
Income Spent on Living Expenses: 21.03%
Des Moines has long been known for its low cost of living and has scored high in the Best Affordable Places to Live ranking since the list's inception in 2016. A rising cost of living has led Des Moines to fall out of the 10 most affordable list for the first time. Des Moines residents spend 21.03% of the median annual household income on living costs.



4. Quad Cities – Davenport-Bettendorf, Iowa, and Moline-Rock Island, Illinois
Downtown-Davenport2.jpg


Best Places 2022 Rank: 53
Metro Population: 380,274
Average Annual Salary: $50,160
Income Spent on Living Expenses: 20.24%
This metro area straddles the state line between Iowa and Illinois, and residents of both states benefit from an overall low cost of living in the Quad Cities area. Residents throughout the area, which includes Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa, and Moline and Rock Island, Illinois, spend just 20.24% of the median household income on housing.
i'm sorry, but youngstown ohio is on this list.
 
Keep advertising this and you'll see an influx from California, NJ, and Connecticut.
I don't think most Californians would want to give up their weather to come to Iowa, the other state transplants would probably hate life with our lack of things to do in the state.

Of course, it's gotten much better over the past 20 years or so and there are more events than local town fairs.
 
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So for the QC that would be a house in thr 120k range with around 3% interest. At $833 a month a feel like this numbers are off. Especially when I see houses renting for 1500/month and up, and the last I rented 800 a month got you a shitty apartment and that was a decade ago.

I am assuming this on the 50k and 20% figures.

Unless the averages are bing suppressed by the shit housong on the west end.
 
So for the QC that would be a house in thr 120k range with around 3% interest. At $833 a month a feel like this numbers are off. Especially when I see houses renting for 1500/month and up, and the last I rented 800 a month got you a shitty apartment and that was a decade ago.

I am assuming this on the 50k and 20% figures.

Unless the averages are bing suppressed by the shit housong on the west end.
Houses always rent well above a mortgage payment. Rental houses suck for the landlord and the tenant. Just an all around trash situation usually.
 
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Quad Cities at #4 and Peoria at #9 is an interesting
comparison. The Quad Cities comes out ahead with
the entertainment and cultural places to visit. As far
as top-notch restaurants I would defer to @torbee.
 
Houses always rent well above a mortgage payment. Rental houses suck for the landlord and the tenant. Just an all around trash situation usually.

I would only want to mess with it if I had several properties and enough profit to put a property management company between renters and myself.

My step dad (RIP in peace) had some properties and hard pass.
 
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I would only want to mess with it if I had several properties and enough profit to put a property management company between renters and myself.

My step dad (RIP in peace) had some properties and hard pass.
Going into it in 2008 would have been a master plan. Economies of scale really burn your ass. HVAC needs replacement, you’re not even covering that shit with a years worth of rent.
 
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I don't think most Californians would want to give up their weather to come to Iowa, the other state transplants would probably hate life with our lack of things to do in the state.

Of course, it's gotten much better over the past 20 years or so and there are more events than local town fairs.
Im always curious when I see that narrative (but im not complaining): What do you want to do that you can't do in iowa? Downhill skiiing maybe?
 
Quad Cities at #4 and Peoria at #9 is an interesting
comparison. The Quad Cities comes out ahead with
the entertainment and cultural places to visit. As far
as top-notch restaurants I would defer to @torbee.
Peoria benefits by being the only "big" city in downstate Illinois. It has a Binny's Beverage Depot and a Bass Pro Shops, for example. I think its restaurant scene is a step up from the QC too, at least according to Mrs. Torbee -- her company has one of its stores down there.
 
So for the QC that would be a house in thr 120k range with around 3% interest. At $833 a month a feel like this numbers are off. Especially when I see houses renting for 1500/month and up, and the last I rented 800 a month got you a shitty apartment and that was a decade ago.

I am assuming this on the 50k and 20% figures.

Unless the averages are bing suppressed by the shit housong on the west end.
It just says that the average annual salary is $50k. It doesn't indicate that those people are all home owners.
 
I'm thinking more along the lines of like big musical events, non-minor league sports, etc.
What I've come to realize as I've gotten older is that folks in those bigger cities, for the most part, don't go to those amenities that much more often than those who don't live there.

For example, I have several friends who live in Chicago or the burbs near there. I have been to more Cubs games than them the past two years. The Mrs. and I also try to hit a play or musical a couple times a year in Chicago as well --- and guess what? Our Chicago friends maybe go to 3 or 4 a year compared to our 1 or 2, so again not a huge disparity.

I think a lot of what you are paying for in a bigger city is simply the ability to have access to those types of cool amenities and better restaurants whenever you want without advanced planning, which is very nice. Not sure it's worth paying twice as much for nearly all consumer goods and 3 to 4 times more for housing, though.
 
So for the QC that would be a house in thr 120k range with around 3% interest. At $833 a month a feel like this numbers are off. Especially when I see houses renting for 1500/month and up, and the last I rented 800 a month got you a shitty apartment and that was a decade ago.

I am assuming this on the 50k and 20% figures.

Unless the averages are bing suppressed by the shit housong on the west end.

Perhaps they are assuming dual household incomes? So 240k housing on 100k income?
 
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The Quad Cities has the MIssissippi River, Modern Woodmen
Park, TaxSlayer Center/Arena, Blackhawk State Park, Niabi Zoo,
Figge Art Museum, Adler Theatre., TPC Deere Run Golf Course,
Putnam Museum & Science Center, Rock Island Arsenal tours,
Rhythm Center Casino Resort. These are a few of the attractions
for entertainment and culture.
 
The Quad Cities has the MIssissippi River, Modern Woodmen
Park, TaxSlayer Center/Arena, Blackhawk State Park, Niabi Zoo,
Figge Art Museum, Adler Theatre., TPC Deere Run Golf Course,
Putnam Museum & Science Center, Rock Island Arsenal tours,
Rhythm Center Casino Resort. These are a few of the attractions
for entertainment and culture.
And Torbee.

For entertainment and general degeneracy.
 
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