$100k salary, packing up from Des Moines

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El Paso, TX cityscape

instead of des moines

El Paso

tx · metro 872k

photo: Gene Maysonet / pexels

a dispatch from

el paso

TX

31.76°N

106.49°W

El Paso has the Franklin Mountains running right through the middle of the city (which is rare), with hiking trails inside city limits and the desert wide open just past the suburbs. The Mexican food is exceptional in ways that the rest of Texas doesn't quite match (it's true regional border food). Ciudad Juarez is literally next door across the Rio Grande. The light at sunset is unreal.

metro872k

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01 · the verdict

the verdict

$295

below Des Moines's monthly cost

The gap is real. El Paso costs noticeably less than Des Moines, every month.
landable, recorded on the el paso entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,473/mo

16% more expensive than Des Moines(vs $1,268/mo)

02state income tax

0%

$500/mo less in state tax than Des Moines

vs 6% in Des Moines

03after rent

$6,860/mo

$295 more than Des Moines

gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.

04a house here

$231k

23% cheaper than Des Moines

vs $300k in Des Moines

05metro size

872k

vs 737k in Des Moines

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

222

pleasant days a year, in el paso.

Des Moines only logs 151 pleasant days. Summer asks for something in return: 60 days top 95° here, 7 in Des Moines.

Noticeably quieter than Des Moines. About 35% fewer events on a typical month.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

65/100

18% higher than Des Moines

vs 55/100 in Des Moines

Closest outdoor draw: White Sands National Park, 72.1 mi.

·walk score®

93/100

19% higher than Des Moines

vs 78/100 in Des Moines

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

13

24% fewer than Des Moines

vs 17 nonstops in Des Moines

04 · see also

if el paso appeals, also worth a look:

see also

roanoke

more things to do

turn the page

see also

lexington

more things to do

turn the page

see also

huntsville

more things to do

turn the page

compare el paso with:

RoanokeLexingtonHuntsville