on $100k a year, leaving New Orleans
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
under New Orleans, every month
Des Moines and New Orleans land close on cost. The reasons to move are about how you'd live, not what you'd save.
a quick ledger.
$1,268/mo
21% cheaper than New Orleans(vs $1,612/mo)
6%
$250/mo more in state tax than New Orleans
vs 3% in New Orleans
$6,565/mo
$94 more than New Orleans
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$300k
16% more expensive than New Orleans
vs $259k in New Orleans
737k
vs 962k in New Orleans
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in des moines.
New Orleans actually gets more: 235 pleasant days a year. The trade is winter: 55 days below 20°, vs 0 in New Orleans.
52% fewer events than New Orleans. The pace eases up.
55/100
0% lower than New Orleans
vs 55/100 in New Orleans
Closest outdoor draw: Rock Creek State Park, 40.2 mi.
78/100
20% lower than New Orleans
vs 98/100 in New Orleans
17
56% fewer than New Orleans
vs 39 nonstops in New Orleans
cities that play in des moines's register:
