Des Moines metro sinks on "best places" list

The Des Moines metro tumbled three dozen spots on U.S. News & World Report's latest best places to live list compared to last year.

Why it matters: Annual rankings indicate a community's overall vibrancy and can help companies and families determine where to relocate.

State of play: Scores are based on crime rates, public schools and health care.

• DSM ranked 55 out of 150 major cities, down from 19 in the previous year.

Reality check: Many factors influence the score, including a "desirability index" that asks people from all over the U.S. where they'd prefer to live.

• DSM's overall score remained about 6.4 out of 10 compared to 6.6 the previous year.

What they're saying: "The drop is very surprising because as the region's tourism and sports commission, we see more and more visitors and events coming here every year," Greg Edwards, CEO of Catch DSM, tells Axios.

👃🏼Our thought bubble: We predict the score will bounce back next year — because we smell better.