$100k salary, packing up from Virginia Beach
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
less monthly outlay than Virginia Beach
The gap is real. Des Moines costs noticeably less than Virginia Beach, every month.
a quick ledger.
$1,268/mo
30% cheaper than Virginia Beach(vs $1,819/mo)
6%
$21/mo more in state tax than Virginia Beach
vs 5.75% in Virginia Beach
$6,565/mo
$530 more than Virginia Beach
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$300k
20% cheaper than Virginia Beach
vs $375k in Virginia Beach
737k
vs 1.8M in Virginia Beach
field notes, weather & such.
151
pleasant days a year, in des moines.
Virginia Beach has the edge here, logging 211 pleasant days a year. Bring a real coat. 55 days stay under 20°, well past Virginia Beach's 2.
A month here packs 1.5× the events of Virginia Beach.
55/100
4% lower than Virginia Beach
vs 57/100 in Virginia Beach
Closest outdoor draw: Rock Creek State Park, 40.2 mi.
78/100
11% lower than Virginia Beach
vs 88/100 in Virginia Beach
17
0% fewer than Virginia Beach
vs 17 nonstops in Virginia Beach
cities that play in des moines's register:
