Des Moines rose five spots to No. 4 in the latest U.S. News & World Report “Best Places to Live” list, behind Austin, Texas, Colorado Springs and Denver. Fayetteville, Ark., was No. 5.

The only other Midwestern town in the top 10 was Minneapolis at No. 9, one slot above Seattle.

In just two years, Des Moines has risen from No. 11 to No. 4 on the list. “Des Moines has maintained a decent cost of living, while people’s desire to move there, quality of life and job market prospects increased,” the magazine reported.

Tiffany Tauscheck, chief strategy officer at the Greater Des Moines Partnership, said the U.S. News & World Report analysis lines up with what the Partnership is seeing it its own data work.

“We’re moving on up,” said Tauscheck, noting a range of recent rankings that praised Des Moines for its appeal to millennials and those who want relatively cheap real estate and strong education.

“It’s very exciting any time we have third-party validation,” Tauscheck added. The metro area grew 1.8 percent last year, and 41 percent since 2000, an indication its appeal is strengthening.

Tauscheck said the cost of doing business — 15 percent below the national average — is helping Greater Des Moines get more looks from prospective businesses and residents. Projects such as the Lauridsen Skate Park and planned trails on land and in the Des Moines River will add to the quality of life, she added.

“The more people are talking about Des Moines, that helps us all,” Tauscheck said.

“When deciding on a place to settle down, it’s important to understand that where a person lives can impact their well-being,” said Kim Castro, executive editor at U.S. News. “U.S. News created the Best Places to Live to highlight areas across the country that have the characteristics residents are looking for, including steady job growth and affordability. The top-ranked places are areas where citizens can feel the most fulfilled socially, physically and financially.”

The list was based in part on a public survey of thousands of  people to determine what they consider important when they decide where to live. U.S. News also considered data from the Census Bureau, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as well as U.S. News rankings of the Best High Schools and Best Hospitals.