on $100k a year, leaving New York
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 New York
Des Moines sits well below New York on cost. Same paycheck, a noticeably lighter month.
a quick ledger.
$1,268/mo
62% cheaper than New York(vs $3,329/mo)
6%
$394/mo less in state tax than New York
vs 10.73% in New York
$6,565/mo
$2,455 more than New York
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$300k
59% cheaper than New York
vs $739k in New York
737k
vs 19.5M in New York
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in des moines.
New York edges ahead with 171 pleasant days. A real winter, not a brutal one: 55 days under 20°, vs 19 in New York.
Lighter on events: New York packs 84.9× more into a month.
55/100
29% lower than New York
vs 78/100 in New York
Closest outdoor draw: Rock Creek State Park, 40.2 mi.
78/100
22% lower than New York
vs 100/100 in New York
17
92% fewer than New York
vs 215 nonstops in New York
cities that play in des moines's register:
