$100k salary, packing up from Cincinnati
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
less monthly outlay than Cincinnati
Des Moines and Cincinnati land close on cost. The reasons to move are about how you'd live, not what you'd save.
a quick ledger.
$1,268/mo
18% cheaper than Cincinnati(vs $1,549/mo)
6%
$168/mo more in state tax than Cincinnati
vs 3.99% in Cincinnati
$6,565/mo
$113 more than Cincinnati
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$300k
5% cheaper than Cincinnati
vs $316k in Cincinnati
737k
vs 2.3M in Cincinnati
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in des moines.
Cincinnati edges ahead with 162 pleasant days. A real winter, not a brutal one: 55 days under 20°, vs 26 in Cincinnati.
47% fewer events than Cincinnati. The pace eases up.
55/100
24% lower than Cincinnati
vs 72/100 in Cincinnati
Closest outdoor draw: Rock Creek State Park, 40.2 mi.
78/100
19% lower than Cincinnati
vs 96/100 in Cincinnati
17
64% fewer than Cincinnati
vs 47 nonstops in Cincinnati
cities that play in des moines's register:
