Pros and cons of city living versus metro suburbs.
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Pros and cons of city living versus metro suburbs.
Should you live in the heart of the city or one of the metro’s fast-growing suburbs? This guide compares Des Moines vs suburbs so you can make the right call.
By Blue Cow Moving & Storage | April 17, 2025
One of the biggest decisions during a move isn’t just which house to choose — it’s where to live. Should you plant roots in downtown Des Moines or explore popular suburbs like Urbandale, Ankeny, or West Des Moines? Understanding the differences between Des Moines vs suburbs can help you decide what best fits your lifestyle.
Des Moines includes over a dozen suburbs — each with unique personalities, schools, and amenities. Learn more at DSM Partnership.
Living in Des Moines: Pros and Cons
Pros
Walkability & Transit Access: Close proximity to jobs, events, and downtown nightlife. Public transportation is improving steadily.
Historic Architecture: Neighborhoods like Sherman Hill and Beaverdale offer unique charm and character.
Cultural Hotspots: Access to Pappajohn Sculpture Park, Art Center, and the Farmers’ Market.
Affordable Home Options: Depending on the area, Des Moines can offer lower home prices than the suburbs.
Cons
Maintenance Needs: Older homes often need updates or repairs.
Property Taxes: Typically higher than nearby suburbs.
Limited New Builds: If you want new construction, choices may be slim.
Living in the Des Moines Suburbs: Pros and Cons
Pros
Top-Rated Schools: Suburbs like Waukee, Ankeny, and Johnston consistently perform well in statewide rankings.
Modern Homes: Newer construction with energy-efficient layouts is widely available.
More Space: Larger yards, newer infrastructure, and quieter streets.
Family-Focused Amenities: Parks, trails, and community events are a suburban staple.
Cons
Commute Times: Longer drives if you work downtown.
Entertainment Access: Fewer nightlife and cultural options compared to downtown Des Moines.
Car Dependency: Less walkability — most errands require a vehicle.
Des Moines vs Suburbs: Quick Comparison
Feature
Des Moines
Suburbs
Commute
Short if working downtown
Longer, more traffic
Schools
Varies by area
Often higher rated
Home Styles
Historic & unique
New builds & HOAs
Walkability
Higher
Lower
Nightlife
Plentiful
Limited
Green Space
Urban parks
Larger lots & trails
How to Decide
Choose Des Moines if you want walkability, culture, and quick commutes.
Choose the Suburbs if you value schools, space, and modern conveniences.
Your Local Moving Partner
Blue Cow Moving & Storage has helped thousands of families and professionals transition between city living and suburban life. From downtown lofts to cul-de-sac homes, we offer packing, local moves, and secure storage for every situation.
Des Moines vs Suburbs Checklist
Compare commute times and housing types
Tour both urban and suburban neighborhoods
Ask your agent about school boundaries and property taxes
Think about lifestyle: nightlife or quiet trails?
Schedule your movers 4–6 weeks in advance
Final Thoughts: Choosing between Des Moines vs suburbs comes down to lifestyle, priorities, and future plans. Both offer strong value — and with Blue Cow Moving & Storage on your side, you’ll enjoy a smooth transition wherever you land.
Real Blue Cow Moves
See Blue Cow in Action
Take a look at real moves completed by our team throughout Central Iowa.
Blue Cow Moving & Storage crew posing in front of their moving truck on a sunny day in Des Moines, ready for local moving services.
Blue Cow Moving & Storage team with a happy customer in front of an Ankeny home, celebrating successful relocation services.
A happy Blue Cow Moving & Storage customer in Ankeny stands with a mover, holding a company logo sign against a house backdrop.
Blue Cow Moving & Storage team with a happy customer in Des Moines, posing next to their branded truck, celebrating a successful moving day.
A happy customer holding a Blue Cow Moving & Storage sign with a team member outside a home in Urbandale, reflecting excellent moving service.
Blue Cow Moving & Storage crew posing with satisfied clients in Clive, beside a company truck, highlighting professional moving services.
Blue Cow Moving & Storage team with happy customers in front of moving truck in Urbandale, showcasing successful relocation services and satisfaction.
Two happy customers standing in front of a garage in Urbandale hold a Blue Cow Moving & Storage sign, showcasing a successful moving experience.
Customer smiles with Blue Cow Moving & Storage team in Ankeny, showcasing a successful move outside their new home.
Blue Cow Moving & Storage crew poses in front of a loaded moving truck in Des Moines, showcasing their moving service expertise.
Blue Cow Moving & Storage truck in Des Moines with two people smiling, showcasing their moving services.
A happy customer smiles with Blue Cow Moving & Storage team members in Urbandale, standing in front of a garage with moving boxes visible.
Blue Cow Moving & Storage crew in Des Moines posing by their truck with logo, ready for moving services.
Blue Cow Moving & Storage truck in Des Moines with two smiling people giving thumbs up, highlighting moving service and branding.
Blue Cow Moving & Storage customers smiling in Clive with a moving team, holding a company logo in a driveway.
A happy customer holds a Blue Cow Moving & Storage sign, flanked by two movers in Urbandale home, showing satisfaction with moving service.
Blue Cow Moving & Storage crew standing by a branded moving truck in Johnston, showcasing their moving services with a thumbs-up gesture.
Three happy customers giving thumbs up in front of a house near Urbandale, holding a Blue Cow Moving & Storage sign, with a grassy field in the background.
A happy Des Moines customer with a Blue Cow Moving & Storage team member in front of a branded moving truck, showcasing reliable local moving services.
Happy customer with Blue Cow Moving team in Norwalk, posing in front of a moving truck, holding the company logo and giving thumbs up.
A happy customer gives a thumbs up in a Des Moines home, standing next to a Blue Cow Moving & Storage worker holding a blue cow sign with boxes nearby.
Blue Cow Moving & Storage team with a happy customer smiling in a Des Moines home, showcasing satisfaction with their moving service.
Happy customer holding Blue Cow Moving & Storage sign with a team member inside a Des Moines home, showcasing excellent moving services.
Blue Cow Moving & Storage crew stands by their truck in Johnston, showcasing their moving services with a logo on a sunny day at a residential area.
Blue Cow Moving & Storage crew stands in front of their truck in Clive, ready to assist with moving tasks. Trees and a neighborhood street are visible.
Happy customer with a Blue Cow Moving & Storage team member in Waukee, smiling inside a new home, showcasing successful moving services.
Blue Cow Moving & Storage team with happy customers in Waukee, standing outside a white house. Team members are smiling and giving a thumbs up.
Happy customer in Johnston posing with Blue Cow Moving & Storage team in a garage, showcasing smooth moving experience.
Blue Cow Moving & Storage team with smiling customers holding a logo sign in a Des Moines home, showcasing a successful moving experience.
Happy customer outside a brick house in Clive with Blue Cow Moving & Storage team, holding a company logo. Lush green plants frame the entrance.
Happy customer holding Blue Cow Moving & Storage sign indoors in Johnston, with two people smiling beside her, showcasing a successful move.
Blue Cow Moving & Storage team with a satisfied customer in Des Moines, standing cheerfully in front of a gray house after a successful move.
Two people stand in front of a moving truck holding a Blue Cow Moving & Storage sign in Urbandale, showcasing their services.
Blue Cow Moving & Storage crew smiling in front of their truck in Clive, holding a logo sign. Movers ready for service in the city.
Smiling customer and Blue Cow Moving team holding logo sign in Des Moines home, showcasing a successful moving experience.
Happy customer with Blue Cow Moving & Storage crew in Des Moines, posing in front of the company truck after a successful moving service.
Blue Cow Moving & Storage crew smiles in front of their branded truck in Des Moines, showcasing their professional moving services.
Blue Cow Moving & Storage team with a happy customer in Des Moines, standing in front of organized moving boxes in a garage, all smiling and thumbs up.
Blue Cow Moving & Storage team in Ankeny with a happy customer inside a new home, celebrating a successful move.
Blue Cow Moving & Storage crew in Ankeny standing by their branded moving truck, ready to assist with residential moves.
Happy customer with Blue Cow Moving & Storage team in Ankeny, standing in front of the company truck displaying their logo.
Blue Cow Moving & Storage team with a happy customer in Johnston, posing outside a home with thumbs up, indicating a successful move.
Blue Cow Moving & Storage team with a happy customer in Urbandale home, showcasing successful moving service.
Smiling customer with Blue Cow Moving & Storage staff in front of their truck in Johnston, showcasing a successful moving experience.
Happy customer with Blue Cow Moving & Storage team in Urbandale, smiling in front of a house, holding a company sign, and ready for a successful move.
Group of smiling people with a Blue Cow Moving & Storage logo in a Waukee garage, showcasing happy customers and moving boxes in the background.
Blue Cow Moving & Storage crew standing in front of their branded truck in Waukee, ready for a moving job.
Blue Cow Moving & Storage crew with a happy customer in front of their truck in Ankeny, showcasing successful moving services and customer satisfaction.
Happy customer in Clive posing with Blue Cow Moving & Storage team, holding a blue cow sign inside a cozy living room, moving boxes visible.
Happy customers with Blue Cow Moving & Storage team in Ankeny, posing in front of the company truck, showcasing reliable moving services.
Blue Cow Moving & Storage team with a satisfied customer in front of a moving truck in Ankeny, showcasing happy moving experiences.
Happy customer with a Blue Cow Moving & Storage employee in front of a Des Moines apartment building, celebrating smooth and efficient moving service.
Happy customer with Blue Cow Moving & Storage team in Ankeny, posing in front of their branded truck, showcasing satisfaction with moving services.
Blue Cow Moving & Storage crew stands by their truck in Ankeny, showcasing their moving services on a sunny day.
Blue Cow Moving & Storage truck in Des Moines with three team members standing in front.
Blue Cow Moving & Storage team posing with a happy customer beside a moving truck in Urbandale, showcasing a successful local relocation.
A smiling Blue Cow Moving & Storage customer poses with staff outside a home in Urbandale, showcasing a successful move and happy partnership.
Four happy customers stand in front of a moving truck in Des Moines, holding a Blue Cow Moving & Storage sign, celebrating a successful move.
Blue Cow Moving & Storage truck in Des Moines with three people standing in front on a residential street, highlighting local moving services.
Happy Blue Cow Moving & Storage customer in Urbandale, standing in a cozy living room with a team member, showcasing a successful move.
Blue Cow Moving & Storage team with a happy customer in Ankeny, posing in front of a moving truck on a suburban street.
Happy customer holding Blue Cow Moving & Storage sign with two movers in a garage in Clive, showcasing the successful completion of a move.
Blue Cow Moving & Storage team with happy customers outside a home in Des Moines, holding a sign with their logo, showcasing professional moving service.
Blue Cow Moving & Storage crew and a happy customer pose in front of a branded truck in Ankeny.
These guys lived up to the reviews. The final invoice was within the range of the initial quotes, and the movers were friendly.
Sheryl Caffrey
1794078686
The personnel at Blue Cow Moving & Storage made moving easy. The staff was extremely responsive and professional beginning at the time of the initial inquiry and through the entire process. They completed the move in less time than anticipated and the billing was adjusted to reflect the difference. Cannot say enough good things about Blue Cow. They were recommended to me by friends and I would also highly recommend. I will definitely use their services again. Thank you!
Kim Raudabaugh
1793126642
The 3 guys that moved us were on time,polite,and social. They asked us where we were moving , how long we had been here and a few other questions.
Tiffany Crouse
1792720751
Very nice and friendly crew that did a great job in a timely manner.
Bill Matzdorff
1792693338
Fantastic crew, very efficient. Due to that efficiency the quoted price was well above what I paid. Would use again. We used Bison Bins instead of boxes which helped them move multiple bins each trip.
Aimee Fox
1792608409
Blue Cow are awesome movers! Second time using them and been very happy both times!
William Turnage
1792431202
Carter and Ethan showed up on time. They were very courteous and professional and efficient. I will recommend them to my neighbors.
LuAnn Lesher
1792169945
Great company to work with. On time, great communication, movers were careful of our belongings and got it done when they said it would. No hidden charges. Will use them again in the future and recommend to anyone needing help moving.
Vector8k
1792081378
Moved all the heavy furniture from one house to another in 2 1/2 hrs. Very nice and respectful towards us and our furniture. Thank you to the team at Blue Cow Moving and Storage!
Walt Switzer
1791658420
Well the dust has settled and the move completed. Paul and Caleb showed up on time at the first stop, and we departed a half an hour later, to the storage unit. After a quick load, off to our daughters house. Two hours BEFORE the estimated time they were done. No dents, scratches or breakage. Fantastic job to BLUE COW MOVING and Storage crew, from first contact to final handshake. Plus, Paul and Caleb each had a donut. I had two.
Sammy Mila
1791406229
Paul, Ben, and Noah are 10/10! Communicative, professional, polite, and determined. Our move was bigger than originally anticipated and Paul was very transparent about the itemized invoice. Would recommend them to anyone moving!
Jeff Will
1791385885
This is second time I’ve used Blue Cow to move my elderly mother. Both times they were great to work with, exceptional results!
Brenda Fugate
1791329393
Once again our moving crew of Ben and Paul did such a great job! They were incredibly careful not to scratch our new trim/floor and newly painted everything! I had to have them move several items more than once and they couldn’t have been nicer about it. So appreciate you all. Thank you again! Highly recommend!
Cameron Buchanan-Damrow
1790888111
Great couple guys! Thank you Ethan and Jay!
Ann Jester
1790859895
Blue Cow did an excellent job with our local move. They were very professional, on-time, strong, and fast. Thank you!
Zach Kowalik
1790804877
Fantastic service. Crew of 7-10 packed up our entire 1,500 sq ft home, transported it and unloaded all in one day (it was only a 5 minute drive between locations). The young men were respectful, hard-working, careful, and honest (they made sure to show us a few minor scratches/dents they caused). There was no cursing or loud music. The leader provided great communication throughout the moving day and everything happened right on schedule. Couldn’t have gone any better!
John Mccall
1790694767
Great crew
Peter Swank
1790638188
My go to moving company. Used them to move into two different houses now!
Landon Mader
1790356060
Couldn't have asked for a better experience, appreciate the crew and the communication throughout!
Michelle Randazzo
1790268355
Fast, efficient, polite and professional!
Colin Joseph Panzi
1790220705
Our moving crew was professional, worked hard, carefully and fast. Overall communication was great and they did a great job.
Jenny Ball
1754766855
Very impressed they were professional and took great care of us and our furniture so happy with the service we received
Valerie Lloyd
1713552317
Awesome movers! Very professional and polite. They got the job done quickly/efficiently. Everything was safely wrapped and carefully transported. These movers are a great value and no hidden fees. Thank you for making our move less stressful! Can’t say enough good things!!!!
Melissa Rud
1713365594
The two young men we had were professional and did a great job! Would definitely recommend!
Sheri Jackson
1713227137
Colton and Caleb WERE AMAZING!!!! They were entertaining and enjoyable. Worked fast and efficient. Would use again if needed and would recommend!!!
Todd Thompson
1713196685
Everything went very smooth the movers were very good to deal with.
Dan Comer
1713187771
Outstanding work! Well packed and organized
Amber Soy
1712867072
They were so professional, nice and efficient! Thanks, Logan and Crew!
Cathy Putney
1712485669
Great service
Bill LaTour
1712435215
Miles and Jay were absolutely awesome. Great kids. Extremely well mannered. Hard working. Thanks so much.
Janet Rice
1711659576
Great!Blue Cow communicated frequently and was very helpful. Prices were great. The final bill was less than the estimate. The two men who did the actual packing were very efficient and polite.
Linda Loftus
1711658676
Caleb and David were fantastic they made sure that all my furniture were wrapped and handled with good care. Both were friendly ,professional and worked hard. This is my first time with Blue Cow and I would recommend them to anyone who are in the process of moving. Thank you again Caleb and David with (Blue Cow)
Jennifer Weber
1710696002
Josiah and Cade were professional and continuously asked questions. Moving can be stressful and they kept checking in making sure they got everything. They wrapped the furniture and it arrived undamaged. It was more than worth the investment. Next time what I would do differently, is rent their shipping containers. I bought my own because I personally wanted some, but don't need as many as I purchased. Would be worth having them drop off the containers and taking them away when done. Logan was very thorough while booking the move, checking in before moving day, and calling the day of moving to check on satisfaction. Great experience working with Blue Cow.....and I love cows....never saw a blue one though.
Evonne Whalen
1710628537
Daniel and Mike was wonderful. They worked very hard and was so careful with all the furniture. Glad they will be returning to move us back in. Good job guys!!
Connie Seastrand
1710373102
This company and their employees are amazing! Fast and friendly and very courteous, they will go above and beyond for you. I have used them twice and would highly recommend them.
bryan huckins
1710276232
Fast... professional.. no complaints at all...would recommend
sarah costa
1710262550
Wow! What a great group of guys! Call these guys for your next move…seriously!!
Samantha Lutgen
1710019954
Blue Cow was terrific to work with when planning my move! They're flexible when unexpected things happen, and made it a stress free experience. The movers were friendly and respectful. I 100% recommend them, and I'd happily use their services again if needed.
