Des Moines is One of 2026’s Top 20 Best State Capitals to Live In

Which state capitals are the very best and very worst to live in this year? WalletHub has the answer! The publication has released a ranking of all 50 states for 2026.

How Did They Determine the Rankings?

WalletHub says that they used 48 different measures to figure out the rankings for all 50 states. The article reads:

"These indicators cover affordability, economic stability, quality of life, education, and health care, ranging from cost of living and crime rates to the quality of K–12 school systems."

How Did Iowa Do?

Pretty well! Des Moines, Iowa ranked 19 out of 50 states, putting us on the good half of the list. The category we ranked the highest in was 'Affordability,' coming in 6th place overall. Our worst category was 'Economic Well-Being,' which ranked 38th in the country.

When you look at some of the 48 indicators that factored into these main categories, Iowa did great in one, and really bad in another. Des Moines was #2 in the country for the lowest '% of State-Local- & Federal-Government Employees,' but it came in 5th place for highest 'Debt as % of Median Income.'

Which States Made the Top 10?

If you're looking for the very best state capitals to live in 2026, the top ten includes:

1. Austin, Texas
2. Raleigh, North Carolina
3. Atlanta, Georgia
4. Madison, Wisconsin
5. Boise, Idaho
6. St. Paul, Minnesota
7. Lincoln, Nebraska
8. Bismark, North Dakota
9. Denver, Colorado
10. Salt Lake City, Utah

Which States Ranked Last?

Let's move to the opposite end of the list, the ten WORST state capitals to live in:

1. Jackson, Mississippi
2. Augusta, Maine
3. Trenton, New Jersey
4. Baton Rouge, Louisiana
5. Little Rock, Arkansas
6. Dover, Delaware
7. Montgomery, Alabama
8. Hartford, Connecticut
9. Frankfort, Kentucky
10. Carson City, Nevada

You can check out WalletHub's rankings for all 50 state capitals in 2026 HERE.

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