$100k salary, packing up from Seattle
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
below Seattle's monthly cost
The gap is real. Des Moines costs noticeably less than Seattle, every month.
a quick ledger.
$1,268/mo
42% cheaper than Seattle(vs $2,193/mo)
6%
$500/mo more in state tax than Seattle
vs 0% in Seattle
$6,565/mo
$425 more than Seattle
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$300k
62% cheaper than Seattle
vs $791k in Seattle
737k
vs 4.0M in Seattle
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in des moines.
Seattle has the edge here, logging 182 pleasant days a year. The trade is winter: 55 days below 20°, vs 0 in Seattle.
But the calendar thins out: Seattle stays 5.5× busier.
55/100
41% lower than Seattle
vs 93/100 in Seattle
Closest outdoor draw: Rock Creek State Park, 40.2 mi.
78/100
20% lower than Seattle
vs 98/100 in Seattle
17
81% fewer than Seattle
vs 90 nonstops in Seattle
same energy as des moines, different zip code:
