P.M. BRIEFING : ‘Average’ Des Moines Gets the Call

DES MOINES, Iowa — This city is a prime place to sample the likes and dislikes of the typical American, say marketing experts, because residents are so, well, average.

Des Moines residents are surveyed by phone more often per capita than people anywhere else in the nation, according to a Connecticut company that sells phone numbers to market researchers.

“Des Moines is considered kind of average, your typical U.S. metro kind of thing,” said Beth Wallace, a spokeswoman for Survey Sample Inc. “Our customers want average metro areas.”

Des Moines Chamber of Commerce spokeswoman Debra Steilen said the city is far from being average, regardless of statistical profiles. “We would say that people care what Des Moines residents think and leave it at that,” she said.