with $100k coming in, swapping out of Richmond
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 Richmond
You'd feel the difference in Des Moines. Not life-changing money, but real breathing room next to Richmond.
a quick ledger.
$1,268/mo
25% cheaper than Richmond(vs $1,691/mo)
6%
$21/mo more in state tax than Richmond
vs 5.75% in Richmond
$6,565/mo
$402 more than Richmond
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$300k
24% cheaper than Richmond
vs $394k in Richmond
737k
vs 1.4M in Richmond
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in des moines.
Richmond gets 172 pleasant days a year, so you'd be trading some sunshine. Cold is the cost: 55 days drop below 20° vs Richmond's 9.
About as much going on as in Richmond.
55/100
15% lower than Richmond
vs 65/100 in Richmond
Closest outdoor draw: Rock Creek State Park, 40.2 mi.
78/100
13% higher than Richmond
vs 69/100 in Richmond
17
11% fewer than Richmond
vs 19 nonstops in Richmond
neighbors of des moines on the map of tradeoffs:
