City comparison
Akron, OH vs Des Moines, IA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Akron, OH are 1.8% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $101,800 in Akron, OH to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,109 a month in Des Moines, IA versus $985 in Akron, OH. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Des Moines, IA and 15% in Akron, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,181 a year higher in Des Moines, IA than in Akron, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.5% moving from Akron, OH to Des Moines, IA ($111,138 → $107,301), while prices change by −1.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.7% in real buying power.
- Akron, OH: price level 93.4 (cheaper)
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Akron, OH | Des Moines, IA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.4 | 91.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,212 in Des Moines | $101,820 in Akron |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $985/mo | $1,109/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $76,032 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $3,148 (IA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,840 | $51,820 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA |
Rent areas: Akron, OH MSA and Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Akron, OH and Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Akron | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 84.7 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 96.4 | 84.6 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 92.9 |
| Overall | 93.4 | 91.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Akron, OH → Des Moines, IA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,181/yr.
74 Strong offer
Des Moines, IA → Akron, OH
Roughly even
Buying power −1.8%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$1,181/yr.
63 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Akron, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Des Moines, IA is in Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA. The last column shows what a transfer from Akron, OH to Des Moines, IA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Akron, OH | Des Moines, IA | Real change, Akron → Des Moines |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $62,223 | −1.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $75,284 | −1.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $90,234 | −1.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $107,301 | −1.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $126,797 | −1.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Akron, OH | Des Moines, IA | Des Moines pay in Akron dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,560 | $61,650 | $62,772 (−20.1%) |
| Software Developers | $105,430 | $126,460 | $128,762 (+22.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,540 | $79,290 | $80,733 (+2.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,770 | $78,630 | $80,061 (−0.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.