same $100k income, fresh start from Baton Rouge
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
more expensive each month than Baton Rouge
Des Moines edges out a little pricier. Close enough that the decision rides on the days, not the dollars.
a quick ledger.
$1,268/mo
7% cheaper than Baton Rouge(vs $1,361/mo)
6%
$250/mo more in state tax than Baton Rouge
vs 3% in Baton Rouge
$6,565/mo
$157 less than Baton Rouge
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$300k
20% more expensive than Baton Rouge
vs $250k in Baton Rouge
737k
vs 874k in Baton Rouge
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in des moines.
Baton Rouge actually gets more: 187 pleasant days a year. The trade is winter: 55 days below 20°, vs 1 in Baton Rouge.
207% more happening than in Baton Rouge.
55/100
10% higher than Baton Rouge
vs 50/100 in Baton Rouge
Closest outdoor draw: Rock Creek State Park, 40.2 mi.
78/100
4% higher than Baton Rouge
vs 75/100 in Baton Rouge
17
325% more than Baton Rouge
vs 4 nonstops in Baton Rouge
cities that play in des moines's register:
