HEAD TO HEAD
Cookeville vs Des Moines
Cookeville and Des Moines split the factors 2–2 — it comes down to which ones you weight.
Cookeville, TN
wins 2 of 5 factors
Des Moines, IA
wins 2 of 5 factors
Match scores, side by side
| Factor | Cookeville | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Affordable to buy | 87 | 87 |
| Affordable to rent | 76 | 84 ◆ |
| Climate comfort | 73 ◆ | 43 |
| Plenty of sunshine | 48 ◆ | 45 |
| Big-city amenities | 12 | 80 ◆ |
By the numbers
| Figure | Cookeville | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $296K | $296K |
| Typical rent | $1,504/mo | $1,293/mo |
| Average temperature | 14.3°C | 10.2°C |
| Sunshine (solar) | 4.2 kWh/m²/day | 4.09 kWh/m²/day |
| Metro size rank | #363 | #84 |
Home & rent Zillow, May 2026 · climate & sunshine NASA POWER climatology. Scores are normalised 0–100 across all metros; higher is better. A research aid, not advice.