$100k salary, packing up from Chattanooga
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
the monthly cost of moving past Chattanooga
Des Moines runs a little pricier than Chattanooga. The case has to be about something other than rent.
a quick ledger.
$1,268/mo
17% cheaper than Chattanooga(vs $1,524/mo)
6%
$500/mo more in state tax than Chattanooga
vs 0% in Chattanooga
$6,565/mo
$244 less than Chattanooga
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$300k
7% cheaper than Chattanooga
vs $322k in Chattanooga
737k
vs 580k in Chattanooga
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in des moines.
Chattanooga edges ahead with 167 pleasant days. Cold is the cost: 55 days drop below 20° vs Chattanooga's 5.
A real upgrade on things to do: 2.0× Chattanooga's pace.
55/100
20% lower than Chattanooga
vs 69/100 in Chattanooga
Closest outdoor draw: Rock Creek State Park, 40.2 mi.
78/100
5% lower than Chattanooga
vs 82/100 in Chattanooga
17
113% more than Chattanooga
vs 8 nonstops in Chattanooga
same energy as des moines, different zip code:
