City comparison
Boise City, ID vs Des Moines, IA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boise City, ID are 7.3% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $107,300 in Boise City, ID to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,381 a month in Boise City, ID versus $1,109 in Des Moines, IA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Boise City, ID and 18% in Des Moines, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,044 a year higher in Boise City, ID than in Des Moines, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.8% moving from Boise City, ID to Des Moines, IA ($106,437 → $107,301), while prices change by −6.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.2% in real buying power.
- Boise City, ID: price level 98.4 (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
| Boise City, ID | Des Moines, IA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.4 | 91.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,201 in Des Moines | $107,295 in Boise City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,381/mo | $1,109/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,988 | $76,032 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,192 (ID) | $3,148 (IA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,100 | $51,820 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA |
Rent areas: Boise City, ID HUD Metro FMR Area and Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Boise City, ID and Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boise City | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.6 | 84.7 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 70.7 | 84.6 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 92.9 |
| Overall | 98.4 | 91.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boise City, ID → Des Moines, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,044/yr.
92 Strong offer
Des Moines, IA → Boise City, ID
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.8%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$1,044/yr.
48 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boise City, ID is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Des Moines, IA is in Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA. The last column shows what a transfer from Boise City, ID to Des Moines, IA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boise City, ID | Des Moines, IA | Real change, Boise City → Des Moines |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,223 | +8.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,284 | +8.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,234 | +8.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,301 | +8.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,797 | +8.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boise City, ID | Des Moines, IA | Des Moines pay in Boise City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,230 | $61,650 | $66,148 (+8.0%) |
| Software Developers | $131,590 | $126,460 | $135,686 (+3.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,700 | $79,290 | $85,075 (+10.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,880 | $78,630 | $84,366 (−13.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.