City comparison
Cincinnati, OH vs Des Moines, IA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Cincinnati, OH are 4.0% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $104,000 in Cincinnati, OH to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,109 a month in Des Moines, IA versus $1,051 in Cincinnati, OH. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Des Moines, IA and 16% in Cincinnati, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,181 a year higher in Des Moines, IA than in Cincinnati, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.2% moving from Cincinnati, OH to Des Moines, IA ($110,865 → $107,301), while prices change by −3.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.7% in real buying power.
- Cincinnati, OH: price level 95.4 (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
| Cincinnati, OH | Des Moines, IA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.4 | 91.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,153 in Des Moines | $104,001 in Cincinnati |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,051/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 | 16% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,170 | $51,820 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA |
Rent areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN and Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cincinnati | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.6 | 84.7 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 91.0 | 84.6 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 92.9 |
| Overall | 95.4 | 91.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cincinnati, OH → Des Moines, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,181/yr.
81 Strong offer
Des Moines, IA → Cincinnati, OH
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.8%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,181/yr.
57 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cincinnati, OH is in the Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN pay area; Des Moines, IA is in Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA. The last column shows what a transfer from Cincinnati, OH to Des Moines, IA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cincinnati, OH | Des Moines, IA | Real change, Cincinnati → Des Moines |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,290 | $62,223 | +0.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,785 | $75,284 | +0.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,231 | $90,234 | +0.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,865 | $107,301 | +0.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,009 | $126,797 | +0.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cincinnati, OH | Des Moines, IA | Des Moines pay in Cincinnati dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,740 | $61,650 | $64,117 (−1.0%) |
| Software Developers | $121,420 | $126,460 | $131,520 (+8.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,640 | $79,290 | $82,462 (+2.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,650 | $78,630 | $81,776 (−2.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.