on $100k a year, leaving Rochester
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 Rochester, every month
Des Moines gives you room Rochester doesn't. Same gross salary, lower monthly cost of living.
a quick ledger.
$1,268/mo
17% cheaper than Rochester(vs $1,534/mo)
6%
$12/mo more in state tax than Rochester
vs 5.85% in Rochester
$6,565/mo
$253 more than Rochester
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$300k
10% more expensive than Rochester
vs $273k in Rochester
737k
vs 1.1M in Rochester
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in des moines.
Rochester only manages 147 of those.
Nights and weekends fill up faster. 1.5× more on the calendar than Rochester.
55/100
5% lower than Rochester
vs 58/100 in Rochester
Closest outdoor draw: Rock Creek State Park, 40.2 mi.
78/100
13% higher than Rochester
vs 69/100 in Rochester
17
6% fewer than Rochester
vs 18 nonstops in Rochester
neighbors of des moines on the map of tradeoffs:
