City comparison
Anchorage, AK vs Des Moines, IA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Anchorage, AK are 15.0% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $115,000 in Anchorage, AK to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,243 a month in Anchorage, AK versus $1,109 in Des Moines, IA. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Anchorage, AK and 18% in Des Moines, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,148 a year higher in Des Moines, IA than in Anchorage, AK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.8% moving from Anchorage, AK to Des Moines, IA ($120,348 → $107,301), while prices change by −13.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.5% in real buying power.
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (pricier)
- 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
| Anchorage, AK | Des Moines, IA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 91.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $86,986 in Des Moines | $114,961 in Anchorage |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,243/mo | $1,109/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,032 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (AK) | $3,148 (IA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,200 | $51,820 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | State of Alaska | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA |
Rent areas: Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area and Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Anchorage, AK and Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Anchorage | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.9 | 84.7 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 111.8 | 84.6 |
| Other services | 103.3 | 92.9 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 91.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Anchorage, AK → Des Moines, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,148/yr.
100 Strong offer
Des Moines, IA → Anchorage, AK
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.0%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$3,148/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Anchorage, AK is in the State of Alaska pay area; Des Moines, IA is in Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA. The last column shows what a transfer from Anchorage, AK to Des Moines, IA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Anchorage, AK | Des Moines, IA | Real change, Anchorage → Des Moines |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,789 | $62,223 | +2.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,439 | $75,284 | +2.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,206 | $90,234 | +2.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,348 | $107,301 | +2.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,216 | $126,797 | +2.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Anchorage, AK | Des Moines, IA | Des Moines pay in Anchorage dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,270 | $61,650 | $70,873 (−10.6%) |
| Software Developers | $104,030 | $126,460 | $145,379 (+39.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,150 | $79,290 | $91,152 (+11.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $115,290 | $78,630 | $90,394 (−21.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.