$100k salary, packing up from Columbia
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 Columbia's monthly cost
The gap is real. Des Moines costs noticeably less than Columbia, every month.
a quick ledger.
$1,268/mo
18% cheaper than Columbia(vs $1,551/mo)
6%
$42/mo less in state tax than Columbia
vs 6.5% in Columbia
$6,565/mo
$324 more than Columbia
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$300k
17% more expensive than Columbia
vs $255k in Columbia
737k
vs 857k in Columbia
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in des moines.
Columbia actually gets more: 189 pleasant days a year. Bring a real coat. 55 days stay under 20°, well past Columbia's 2.
A month here packs 2.4× the events of Columbia.
55/100
0% lower than Columbia
vs 55/100 in Columbia
Closest outdoor draw: Rock Creek State Park, 40.2 mi.
78/100
8% lower than Columbia
vs 85/100 in Columbia
17
70% more than Columbia
vs 10 nonstops in Columbia
in the same ballpark as des moines:
