$100k a year, no longer in Mobile
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
the monthly cost of moving past Mobile
Almost a wash on cost. The case for Des Moines is about what you'd do there, not what you'd save.
a quick ledger.
$1,268/mo
3% cheaper than Mobile(vs $1,302/mo)
6%
$83/mo more in state tax than Mobile
vs 5% in Mobile
$6,565/mo
$50 less than Mobile
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$300k
55% more expensive than Mobile
vs $194k in Mobile
737k
vs 412k in Mobile
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in des moines.
Mobile edges ahead with 225 pleasant days. Winter asks for something in return: 55 days under 20° here, 0 in Mobile.
A month here packs 1.9× the events of Mobile.
55/100
7% lower than Mobile
vs 59/100 in Mobile
Closest outdoor draw: Rock Creek State Park, 40.2 mi.
78/100
13% higher than Mobile
vs 69/100 in Mobile
17
240% more than Mobile
vs 5 nonstops in Mobile
neighbors of des moines on the map of tradeoffs:
