Forbes Magazine has ranked Des Moines the #1 place for business and careers. Des Moines was the only metro city to rank in the top quartile for 9 of the 12 measures. In 2012, Des was ranked 4th, has finished in the top 10 since 2007 and also ranked #1 in 2010.
Des Moines offers businesses a skilled workforce with 36% of the population having college degrees and 92% high school diplomas. The metro is very attractive for young professionals and the business community is very active in supporting programs and organizations that engage them.
Des Moines has a strong presence in the financial and insurance industries, with large employers like Wells Fargo, Aviva, Wellmark, and Principal Financial Group, to name a few. Companies are recognizing the areas strengths and benefits and reinvesting in the area. Business costs are 17% below national average and energy costs are 22% below. This has attracted data centers for Facebook and Microsoft which will be investing over a billion dollars in the area.
The Des Moines metro area has also increased their merchandise exports by 22% over 2011 to $1.2 billion. This includes agricultural products, plastics and rubber products, processed foods, machinery, and chemicals.
It is an exciting time to be living in a thriving community. For more information go to www.forbes.com.
Cindy Sampson
Property Manager
411 Brick Street
Bondurant, Iowa
515-967-9346