$100k salary, packing up from Des Moines
changea dispatch from
indianapolis
IN
39.77°N
86.16°W
Indianapolis circles its downtown with a literal loop (the Mile Square) and hosts the Indy 500 every Memorial Day weekend like clockwork. Basketball is woven into the state DNA (Hoosiers, the movie, is essentially a documentary). The Cultural Trail connects six districts on bike-friendly paths through the heart of downtown. The food scene has quietly leveled up.
in our guides
the verdict
below Des Moines's monthly cost
Indianapolis and Des Moines land close on cost. The reasons to move are about how you'd live, not what you'd save.
a quick ledger.
$1,511/mo
19% more expensive than Des Moines(vs $1,268/mo)
3%
$250/mo less in state tax than Des Moines
vs 6% in Des Moines
$6,572/mo
$7 more than Des Moines
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$296k
1% cheaper than Des Moines
vs $300k in Des Moines
2.1M
vs 737k in Des Moines
field notes, weather & such.
174
pleasant days a year, in indianapolis.
Des Moines only manages 151 of those.
Nights and weekends fill up faster. 1.9× more on the calendar than Des Moines.
62/100
13% higher than Des Moines
vs 55/100 in Des Moines
Closest outdoor draw: Brown County State Park, 43.5 mi.
99/100
27% higher than Des Moines
vs 78/100 in Des Moines
35
106% more than Des Moines
vs 17 nonstops in Des Moines
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