same $100k income, fresh start from Jacksonville
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 expensive each month than Jacksonville
Barely costlier than Jacksonville. If Des Moines pulls you in, it's the life it offers, not the price tag.
a quick ledger.
$1,268/mo
24% cheaper than Jacksonville(vs $1,679/mo)
6%
$500/mo more in state tax than Jacksonville
vs 0% in Jacksonville
$6,565/mo
$89 less than Jacksonville
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$300k
16% cheaper than Jacksonville
vs $358k in Jacksonville
737k
vs 1.7M in Jacksonville
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in des moines.
Jacksonville gets 198 pleasant days a year, so you'd be trading some sunshine. Cold is the cost: 55 days drop below 20° vs Jacksonville's 0.
A similar weekend lineup to Jacksonville.
55/100
14% lower than Jacksonville
vs 64/100 in Jacksonville
Closest outdoor draw: Rock Creek State Park, 40.2 mi.
78/100
16% lower than Jacksonville
vs 93/100 in Jacksonville
17
35% fewer than Jacksonville
vs 26 nonstops in Jacksonville
cities that play in des moines's register:
