with $100k coming in, swapping out of Boston
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
below Boston's monthly cost
Des Moines sits well below Boston on cost. Same paycheck, a noticeably lighter month.
a quick ledger.
$1,268/mo
60% cheaper than Boston(vs $3,145/mo)
6%
$83/mo more in state tax than Boston
vs 5% in Boston
$6,565/mo
$1,793 more than Boston
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$300k
61% cheaper than Boston
vs $771k in Boston
737k
vs 4.9M in Boston
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in des moines.
Boston gets 160 pleasant days a year, so you'd be trading some sunshine. Winter has bite, though: 55 days drop below 20° vs Boston's 33.
Lighter on events: Boston packs 3.7× more into a month.
55/100
23% lower than Boston
vs 71/100 in Boston
Closest outdoor draw: Rock Creek State Park, 40.2 mi.
78/100
20% lower than Boston
vs 98/100 in Boston
17
83% fewer than Boston
vs 103 nonstops in Boston
neighbors of des moines on the map of tradeoffs:
