$100k a year, no longer in Portland
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 Portland, every month
Des Moines is the easier version of your monthly budget. Lower rent, lighter monthly outlay.
a quick ledger.
$1,268/mo
29% cheaper than Portland(vs $1,781/mo)
6%
$229/mo less in state tax than Portland
vs 8.75% in Portland
$6,565/mo
$742 more than Portland
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$300k
47% cheaper than Portland
vs $562k in Portland
737k
vs 2.5M in Portland
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in des moines.
Portland gets 178 pleasant days a year, so you'd be trading some sunshine. Winter asks for something in return: 55 days under 20° here, 2 in Portland.
But the calendar thins out: Portland stays 2.7× busier.
55/100
37% lower than Portland
vs 87/100 in Portland
Closest outdoor draw: Rock Creek State Park, 40.2 mi.
78/100
22% lower than Portland
vs 100/100 in Portland
17
70% fewer than Portland
vs 57 nonstops in Portland
neighbors of des moines on the map of tradeoffs:
