01 · the cities
Honolulu
Honolulu is Waikiki's high-rises pressed against turquoise water, Diamond Head crater glowing pink at dawn, and plate lunches that mix Hawaiian, Japanese, Filipino, Korean, and Portuguese into one perfect styrofoam container. Surf the south shore in summer, the north in winter. The North Shore is a 45-minute drive into a totally different world. Aloha here is a way of moving through the day.
full dispatch→Des Moines
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.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,843/mo
$1,268/mo
$1,575/mo less than Honolulu (124%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.1M
$300k
$762k less than Honolulu
State income tax
State income tax
11.0%
6.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,574/mo
$6,565/mo
Des Moines has $1,991/mo more gross after rent at $100k
Gross left after rent reflects state income tax but not federal, based on $100k salary. Enter your salary to find your ideal city.
03 · the weather
Pleasant days/yr
Pleasant days/yr
316 days
151 days
165 fewer than Honolulu
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
7 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
55 days
days below 20°F per year
Des Moines has 7 more days above 95°F each year than Honolulu. Des Moines drops below 20°F on 55 more days per year than Honolulu.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
55 / 100
55 / 100
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
51 routes
17 routes
34 fewer direct routes than Honolulu
Metro size
Metro size
989k metro
737k metro
Honolulu has 2.1x more events per month than Des Moines.
the verdict
4
Honolulu
categories won
4
Des Moines
categories won
Honolulu wins on weather and lifestyle, Des Moines wins on money. Dead even.
run your numbers
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