on $100k a year, leaving Roanoke
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 Roanoke
Cost barely budges between Des Moines and Roanoke. Pick this one for the texture of the days, not the math.
a quick ledger.
$1,268/mo
8% cheaper than Roanoke(vs $1,382/mo)
6%
$21/mo more in state tax than Roanoke
vs 5.75% in Roanoke
$6,565/mo
$93 more than Roanoke
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$300k
1% more expensive than Roanoke
vs $296k in Roanoke
737k
vs 314k in Roanoke
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in des moines.
Roanoke actually gets more: 179 pleasant days a year. Cold snaps are part of the year: 55 days below 20° here, 21 in Roanoke.
A month here packs 3.8× the events of Roanoke.
55/100
20% lower than Roanoke
vs 69/100 in Roanoke
Closest outdoor draw: Rock Creek State Park, 40.2 mi.
78/100
17% lower than Roanoke
vs 94/100 in Roanoke
17
89% more than Roanoke
vs 9 nonstops in Roanoke
cities that play in des moines's register:
