on $100k a year, leaving Kingsport
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 Kingsport
Des Moines costs more than Kingsport, and you'll feel it. The upside has to come from somewhere other than your budget.
a quick ledger.
$1,268/mo
8% cheaper than Kingsport(vs $1,383/mo)
6%
$500/mo more in state tax than Kingsport
vs 0% in Kingsport
$6,565/mo
$385 less than Kingsport
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$300k
23% more expensive than Kingsport
vs $244k in Kingsport
737k
vs 312k in Kingsport
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in des moines.
Kingsport gets 188 pleasant days a year, so you'd be trading some sunshine. Cold is the cost: 55 days drop below 20° vs Kingsport's 15.
A real upgrade on things to do: 5.8× Kingsport's pace.
55/100
7% lower than Kingsport
vs 59/100 in Kingsport
Closest outdoor draw: Rock Creek State Park, 40.2 mi.
78/100
5% higher than Kingsport
vs 74/100 in Kingsport
17
325% more than Kingsport
vs 4 nonstops in Kingsport
cities that play in des moines's register:
