with $100k coming in, swapping out of Chicago
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 Chicago's monthly cost
In Des Moines, rent stops being the headline. The cost gap shows up every month without you trying.
a quick ledger.
$1,268/mo
42% cheaper than Chicago(vs $2,170/mo)
6%
$87/mo more in state tax than Chicago
vs 4.95% in Chicago
$6,565/mo
$814 more than Chicago
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$300k
18% cheaper than Chicago
vs $365k in Chicago
737k
vs 9.3M in Chicago
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in des moines.
Chicago gets 153 pleasant days a year, so you'd be trading some sunshine. A real winter, not a brutal one: 55 days under 20°, vs 38 in Chicago.
Noticeably quieter than Chicago. About 96% fewer events on a typical month.
55/100
21% lower than Chicago
vs 70/100 in Chicago
Closest outdoor draw: Rock Creek State Park, 40.2 mi.
78/100
22% lower than Chicago
vs 100/100 in Chicago
17
92% fewer than Chicago
vs 217 nonstops in Chicago
same energy as des moines, different zip code:
