$100k a year, no longer in Reading
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
the monthly cost of moving past Reading
Barely costlier than Reading. If Des Moines pulls you in, it's the life it offers, not the price tag.
a quick ledger.
$1,268/mo
14% cheaper than Reading(vs $1,478/mo)
6%
$244/mo more in state tax than Reading
vs 3.07% in Reading
$6,565/mo
$35 less than Reading
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$300k
4% cheaper than Reading
vs $311k in Reading
737k
vs 433k in Reading
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in des moines.
Reading gets 157 pleasant days a year, so you'd be trading some sunshine. Winter has bite, though: 55 days drop below 20° vs Reading's 32.
59% more happening than in Reading.
55/100
15% lower than Reading
vs 65/100 in Reading
Closest outdoor draw: Rock Creek State Park, 40.2 mi.
78/100
8% lower than Reading
vs 85/100 in Reading
17
0% fewer than Reading
vs 0 nonstops in Reading
cities that play in des moines's register:
