$100k salary, packing up from Indianapolis
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
more each month than Indianapolis ran you
Des Moines edges out a little pricier. Close enough that the decision rides on the days, not the dollars.
a quick ledger.
$1,268/mo
16% cheaper than Indianapolis(vs $1,511/mo)
6%
$250/mo more in state tax than Indianapolis
vs 3% in Indianapolis
$6,565/mo
$7 less than Indianapolis
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$300k
1% more expensive than Indianapolis
vs $296k in Indianapolis
737k
vs 2.1M in Indianapolis
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in des moines.
Indianapolis actually gets more: 174 pleasant days a year. Winter shows up, though: 55 days below 20° vs Indianapolis's 30.
48% fewer events than Indianapolis. The pace eases up.
55/100
11% lower than Indianapolis
vs 62/100 in Indianapolis
Closest outdoor draw: Rock Creek State Park, 40.2 mi.
78/100
21% lower than Indianapolis
vs 99/100 in Indianapolis
17
51% fewer than Indianapolis
vs 35 nonstops in Indianapolis
same energy as des moines, different zip code:
