$100k a year, no longer in Augusta
changea dispatch from
des moines
IA
41.59°N
93.62°W
Des Moines is the Iowa State Fair every August (think butter cows, deep-fried everything, and the political circus of every presidential cycle), insurance industry stability, and a downtown that's grown into a genuinely good food and brewery scene. The East Village neighborhood is the cool kid pocket. The whole city is bikeable. Friendly, affordable, and chronically underestimated.
in our guides
the verdict
cheaper each month than Augusta
On paper, Des Moines and Augusta are twins. In practice they live very differently.
a quick ledger.
$1,268/mo
12% cheaper than Augusta(vs $1,443/mo)
6%
$43/mo more in state tax than Augusta
vs 5.49% in Augusta
$6,565/mo
$132 more than Augusta
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$300k
21% more expensive than Augusta
vs $247k in Augusta
737k
vs 628k in Augusta
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in des moines.
Augusta actually gets more: 191 pleasant days a year. Bring a real coat. 55 days stay under 20°, well past Augusta's 2.
15.3× the events of Augusta, and the calendar shows it.
55/100
20% higher than Augusta
vs 46/100 in Augusta
Closest outdoor draw: Rock Creek State Park, 40.2 mi.
78/100
5% higher than Augusta
vs 74/100 in Augusta
17
467% more than Augusta
vs 3 nonstops in Augusta
same energy as des moines, different zip code:
