on $100k a year, leaving Nashville
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
lighter monthly cost than Nashville
A near-tie on cost. What separates Des Moines is the life around the numbers.
a quick ledger.
$1,268/mo
29% cheaper than Nashville(vs $1,790/mo)
6%
$500/mo more in state tax than Nashville
vs 0% in Nashville
$6,565/mo
$22 more than Nashville
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$300k
35% cheaper than Nashville
vs $461k in Nashville
737k
vs 2.1M in Nashville
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in des moines.
Nashville has the edge here, logging 173 pleasant days a year. Bring a real coat. 55 days stay under 20°, well past Nashville's 8.
Nashville hosts 6.2× more events.
55/100
2% lower than Nashville
vs 56/100 in Nashville
Closest outdoor draw: Rock Creek State Park, 40.2 mi.
78/100
19% lower than Nashville
vs 96/100 in Nashville
17
64% fewer than Nashville
vs 47 nonstops in Nashville
in the same ballpark as des moines:
