Moving Back to Greater Des Moines
For Austin Norman, moving back to the Greater Des Moines (DSM) region to raise his family has become a full circle moment that reminds him of his childhood days.
A graduate of Southeast Polk School in Altoona, Austin joined the Navy as a nuclear engineer, working on submarines stationed in Charleston, South Carolina; San Diego, California; and Seattle, Washington.
Austin and his wife Courtney, a pediatric physical therapist, enjoyed the West Coast’s year-round temperate climate and scenic bike trails, Austin missed his family and the sense of community that he fondly grew up with.
As the couple started a family, their priorities quickly focused on providing the best quality of life for their two children, who are both under the age of four. In 2023, Austin accepted a role as Mechanical Subject Matter Expert with Meta (Facebook), based in Altoona.
The couple looked at several Midwest communities and chose to make their home in DSM. They cite several factors that made their decision easy—DSM’s low cost of living, Iowa’s high-ranking schools, affordable child care, and low homelessness and crime rates.
“Des Moines is a great place to raise a family,” he says. “If you want a community that combines both smalltown ‘hustle and bustle’ and charm with big town amenities, Des Moines is the place for you.”
Austin encourages families looking to relocate to DSM to spend a week in the area to experience everything that the metro has to offer. “Explore the city. Visit with locals at the coffee shop. Check out the Downtown Farmer’s Market and other nearby festivals, parades, and pumpkin patches,” he says. “You can’t help but fall in love with Des Moines!”
He especially appreciates how much DSM has proactively invested in growth to provide family-friendly activities, including Lauridsen Skatepark, the country’s largest skate park and the planned construction of a pro soccer stadium in Downtown Des Moines and a mountain bike park in Pleasant Hill.
After living in other parts of the country, Austin appreciates the Midwest hospitality even more today. “Growing up here, I took simple things like exchanging pleasantries at the grocery store and opening the door for others for granted,” he says. “In Iowa, everyone seems to be connected in some way. My wife is always running into someone at the gym or the store who knows either me, my family, or a mutual friend.”
Living in his hometown— now as a father and husband—is special to Austin. The cul de sac they live on represents a typical Iowa scene that he enjoyed as a kid.
“All of our garage doors are open, and the neighborhood kids are playing together as we enjoy a view of the Des Moines skyline behind the field in our back yard,” he says. “Knowing that my children have the same opportunities to connect and make friendships as I did as a kid confirms that we made the right decision to raise our family here.”
Ready to Make Your Move?
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