same $100k income, fresh start from Phoenix
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
cheaper each month than Phoenix
A near-tie on cost. What separates Des Moines is the life around the numbers.
a quick ledger.
$1,268/mo
27% cheaper than Phoenix(vs $1,739/mo)
6%
$292/mo more in state tax than Phoenix
vs 2.5% in Phoenix
$6,565/mo
$179 more than Phoenix
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$300k
35% cheaper than Phoenix
vs $458k in Phoenix
737k
vs 5.1M in Phoenix
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in des moines.
Phoenix actually gets more: 181 pleasant days a year. The trade is winter: 55 days below 20°, vs 0 in Phoenix.
Lighter on events: Phoenix packs 4.3× more into a month.
55/100
17% lower than Phoenix
vs 66/100 in Phoenix
Closest outdoor draw: Rock Creek State Park, 40.2 mi.
78/100
20% lower than Phoenix
vs 97/100 in Phoenix
17
81% fewer than Phoenix
vs 91 nonstops in Phoenix
in the same ballpark as des moines:
