same $100k income, fresh start from Tucson
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
pricier each month than Tucson
Almost a wash on cost. The case for Des Moines is about what you'd do there, not what you'd save.
a quick ledger.
$1,268/mo
12% cheaper than Tucson(vs $1,444/mo)
6%
$292/mo more in state tax than Tucson
vs 2.5% in Tucson
$6,565/mo
$116 less than Tucson
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$300k
15% cheaper than Tucson
vs $352k in Tucson
737k
vs 1.1M in Tucson
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in des moines.
Tucson edges ahead with 202 pleasant days. Winter asks for something in return: 55 days under 20° here, 0 in Tucson.
1.4× the events of Tucson, and the calendar shows it.
55/100
17% lower than Tucson
vs 66/100 in Tucson
Closest outdoor draw: Rock Creek State Park, 40.2 mi.
78/100
16% higher than Tucson
vs 67/100 in Tucson
17
6% more than Tucson
vs 16 nonstops in Tucson
cities that play in des moines's register:
