same $100k income, fresh start from Cleveland
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
pricier each month than Cleveland
Almost a wash on cost. The case for Des Moines is about what you'd do there, not what you'd save.
a quick ledger.
$1,268/mo
11% cheaper than Cleveland(vs $1,419/mo)
6%
$168/mo more in state tax than Cleveland
vs 3.99% in Cleveland
$6,565/mo
$17 less than Cleveland
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$300k
19% more expensive than Cleveland
vs $252k in Cleveland
737k
vs 2.2M in Cleveland
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in des moines.
Cleveland edges ahead with 159 pleasant days. Winter has bite, though: 55 days drop below 20° vs Cleveland's 27.
Cleveland hosts 1.9× more events.
55/100
13% lower than Cleveland
vs 63/100 in Cleveland
Closest outdoor draw: Rock Creek State Park, 40.2 mi.
78/100
19% lower than Cleveland
vs 96/100 in Cleveland
17
70% fewer than Cleveland
vs 56 nonstops in Cleveland
cities that play in des moines's register:
