on $100k a year, leaving El Paso
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 El Paso
Des Moines runs a little pricier than El Paso. The case has to be about something other than rent.
a quick ledger.
$1,268/mo
14% cheaper than El Paso(vs $1,473/mo)
6%
$500/mo more in state tax than El Paso
vs 0% in El Paso
$6,565/mo
$295 less than El Paso
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$300k
30% more expensive than El Paso
vs $231k in El Paso
737k
vs 872k in El Paso
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in des moines.
El Paso edges ahead with 222 pleasant days. Winter asks for something in return: 55 days under 20° here, 1 in El Paso.
A real upgrade on things to do: 1.5× El Paso's pace.
55/100
15% lower than El Paso
vs 65/100 in El Paso
Closest outdoor draw: Rock Creek State Park, 40.2 mi.
78/100
16% lower than El Paso
vs 93/100 in El Paso
17
31% more than El Paso
vs 13 nonstops in El Paso
cities that play in des moines's register:
