City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Des Moines, IA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlanta, GA are 9.1% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $109,100 in Atlanta, GA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,660 a month in Atlanta, GA versus $1,109 in Des Moines, IA. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 18% in Des Moines, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,419 a year higher in Atlanta, GA than in Des Moines, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.7% moving from Atlanta, GA to Des Moines, IA ($112,556 → $107,301), while prices change by −8.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.0% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- 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
| Atlanta, GA | Des Moines, IA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 91.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,648 in Des Moines | $109,113 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,109/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $76,032 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,148 (IA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $51,820 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 84.7 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 84.6 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 92.9 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 91.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Des Moines, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,419/yr.
97 Strong offer
Des Moines, IA → Atlanta, GA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.4%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$1,419/yr.
40 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Des Moines, IA is in Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Des Moines, IA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Des Moines, IA | Real change, Atlanta → Des Moines |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $62,223 | +4.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $75,284 | +4.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $90,234 | +4.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $107,301 | +4.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $126,797 | +4.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Des Moines, IA | Des Moines pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $61,650 | $67,268 (−12.1%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $126,460 | $137,985 (+3.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $79,290 | $86,516 (+0.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $78,630 | $85,796 (−14.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.