same $100k income, fresh start from Charleston
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 Charleston
Not a fortune, but real money. Des Moines runs cheaper than Charleston month over month.
a quick ledger.
$1,268/mo
36% cheaper than Charleston(vs $1,987/mo)
6%
$42/mo less in state tax than Charleston
vs 6.5% in Charleston
$6,565/mo
$760 more than Charleston
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$300k
31% cheaper than Charleston
vs $432k in Charleston
737k
vs 849k in Charleston
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in des moines.
Charleston edges ahead with 212 pleasant days. Cold is the cost: 55 days drop below 20° vs Charleston's 0.
On par with Charleston for events and shows.
55/100
18% lower than Charleston
vs 67/100 in Charleston
Closest outdoor draw: Rock Creek State Park, 40.2 mi.
78/100
15% lower than Charleston
vs 92/100 in Charleston
17
15% fewer than Charleston
vs 20 nonstops in Charleston
in the same ballpark as des moines:
