Awards & Recognitions for West Des Moines

West Des Moines achieved Standard & Poor’s top AAA Bond Rating in February 2005 and has maintained it every year since that time. West Des Moines also achieved the top Aaa Bond Rating from Moody's Investors Service in July 2010, and has maintained this top rating ever since.

West Des Moines has received the Government Finance Officer's Association (GFOA) Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the past 23 years.

The GFOA has also awarded West Des Moines a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the past 29 years.

West Des Moines is one of only a few cities in the nation to have all three public safety departments accredited.

1. The Police Department is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies
2. The Fire Department received accreditation from The Commission on Fire Accreditation International.
3. Emergency Medical Services is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services

West Des Moines has earned the City Government Most Conducive to Doing Business award by the Des Moines Business Record every year since it was first awarded in 1998. 

Other awards include:

• The 2023 Thriving Communities designation from the Iowa Finance Authority and the Iowa Economic Development Authority in recognition of the City's strong efforts to meet workforce housing needs for households of all income levels. 
• Des Moines - West Des Moines area ranked by Forbes in 2023 as the #1 Place for Young Professionals to Live.
• West Des Moines received the Technology Association of Iowa's 2022 Prometheus Award for Technology Community of the Year.
• West Des Moines was named 2022 SBA Small Business Community of the Year.
• Niche.com named West Des Moines the #1 Best Place to Live in Polk County.
• MONEY Magazine ranked West Des Moines as the #1 Best Place to Live in Iowa and the #37 Best Place to Live in America.
• Iowa was ranked #1 in the country by U.S. News & World Report's Best States Rankings.
• MONEY Magazine ranked West Des Moines as the fourth Best Place to Live in America among cities with populations between 50,000 and 300,000.
• A Gallup-Healthways survey found that the City of West Des Moines ranks #8 nationally for citizens who are most satisfied with their City.
• Area Development magazine listed West Des Moines as #29 out of 100 leading locations in the United States.
• West Des Moines was recognized as one of the most exciting places in Iowa according to Movoto.com. Factors include nightlife, live music venues, and age of residents.
• Forbes has named the Des Moines/West Des Moines Metropolitan area the #1 area for young professionals ages 24-34 who hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
• The Des Moines/West Des Moines Metropolitan has been named in the top ranking for best metros for Millennial Homebuyers. The National Association of Realtors ranked the Des Moines/West Des Moines Metro #4 in the nation.
• West Des Moines has been named as one of the Top Ten Best Small Cities for Education in America by real estate blog, Movoto.com. 
• Policom Corp, an economic research firm, named the Des Moines-West Des Moines Metropolitan No. 1 in a ranking of economic strength amongst metropolitan areas. The ranking is derived using data that includes per capita income, construction, and retail.
• The Des Moines/West Des Moines Metropolitan area was named the #1 Best Medium-Sized Metro Areas for Homeownership by NerdWallet Finance Blog. Three major factors were used to determine the selection: home availability, affordability and growth within the area.

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