City comparison
Brownsville, TX vs Des Moines, IA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Des Moines, IA are 6.7% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $106,700 in Des Moines, IA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,109 a month in Des Moines, IA versus $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Des Moines, IA and 13% in Brownsville, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,148 a year higher in Des Moines, IA than in Brownsville, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.8% moving from Brownsville, TX to Des Moines, IA ($106,437 → $107,301), while prices change by +6.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.5% in real buying power.
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (much 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
| Brownsville, TX | Des Moines, IA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.0 | 91.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,660 in Des Moines | $93,756 in Brownsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $866/mo | $1,109/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,032 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,148 (IA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $36,490 | $51,820 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA |
Rent areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA and Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX and Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Brownsville | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 57.7 | 84.7 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 84.6 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 92.9 |
| Overall | 86.0 | 91.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Brownsville, TX → Des Moines, IA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,148/yr.
49 Fair offer
Des Moines, IA → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.7%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$3,148/yr.
90 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Brownsville, TX 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 Brownsville, TX to Des Moines, IA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Brownsville, TX | Des Moines, IA | Real change, Brownsville → Des Moines |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,223 | −5.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,284 | −5.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,234 | −5.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,301 | −5.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,797 | −5.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Brownsville, TX | Des Moines, IA | Des Moines pay in Brownsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,350 | $61,650 | $57,800 (−8.8%) |
| Software Developers | $106,990 | $126,460 | $118,564 (+10.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $66,440 | $79,290 | $74,339 (+11.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,090 | $78,630 | $73,720 (−9.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.