City comparison
Columbus, GA 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 2.7% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $102,700 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 $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Des Moines, IA and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,419 a year higher in Columbus, GA than in Des Moines, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.7% moving from Columbus, GA to Des Moines, IA ($112,556 → $107,301), while prices change by +2.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.2% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (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
| Columbus, GA | Des Moines, IA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 91.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,693 in Des Moines | $97,377 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/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 | 15% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $51,820 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA |
Rent areas: Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 84.7 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 84.6 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 92.9 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 91.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → Des Moines, IA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,419/yr.
61 Fair offer
Des Moines, IA → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.7%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$1,419/yr.
77 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, 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 Columbus, GA to Des Moines, IA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | Des Moines, IA | Real change, Columbus → Des Moines |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $62,223 | −7.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $75,284 | −7.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $90,234 | −7.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $107,301 | −7.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $126,797 | −7.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | Des Moines, IA | Des Moines pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $61,650 | $60,033 (−2.2%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $126,460 | $123,143 (+6.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $79,290 | $77,210 (+4.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $78,630 | $76,568 (−7.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.