$100k a year, no longer in Grand Rapids
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 Grand Rapids
Des Moines is the easier version of your monthly budget. Lower rent, lighter monthly outlay.
a quick ledger.
$1,268/mo
22% cheaper than Grand Rapids(vs $1,620/mo)
6%
$146/mo more in state tax than Grand Rapids
vs 4.25% in Grand Rapids
$6,565/mo
$206 more than Grand Rapids
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$300k
15% cheaper than Grand Rapids
vs $353k in Grand Rapids
737k
vs 1.2M in Grand Rapids
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in des moines.
Grand Rapids keeps to 151 pleasant days a year.
But the calendar thins out: Grand Rapids stays 1.5× busier.
55/100
2% lower than Grand Rapids
vs 56/100 in Grand Rapids
Closest outdoor draw: Rock Creek State Park, 40.2 mi.
78/100
20% lower than Grand Rapids
vs 97/100 in Grand Rapids
17
15% fewer than Grand Rapids
vs 20 nonstops in Grand Rapids
in the same ballpark as des moines:
