City comparison
Des Moines, IA vs El Paso, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Des Moines, IA are 2.0% higher than in El Paso, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in El Paso, TX would need about $102,000 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 $1,013 in El Paso, TX. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Des Moines, IA and 15% in El Paso, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,148 a year higher in Des Moines, IA than in El Paso, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.8% moving from Des Moines, IA to El Paso, TX ($107,301 → $106,437), while prices change by −2.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.2% in real buying power.
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (much cheaper)
- El Paso, TX: price level 89.9 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Des Moines, IA | El Paso, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.7 | 89.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,049 in El Paso | $101,990 in Des Moines |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,109/mo | $1,013/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,820 | $39,510 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area and El Paso, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and El Paso, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Des Moines | El Paso |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.7 | 71.2 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 84.6 | 82.6 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 91.7 | 89.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Des Moines, IA → El Paso, TX
Roughly even
Buying power +2.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$3,148/yr.
75 Strong offer
El Paso, TX → Des Moines, IA
Roughly even
Buying power −2.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,148/yr.
63 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Des Moines, IA is in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA pay area; El Paso, TX is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Des Moines, IA to El Paso, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Des Moines, IA | El Paso, TX | Real change, Des Moines → El Paso |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,223 | $61,722 | +1.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,284 | $74,678 | +1.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,234 | $89,508 | +1.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,301 | $106,437 | +1.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,797 | $125,776 | +1.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Des Moines, IA | El Paso, TX | El Paso pay in Des Moines dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $63,800 | $65,069 (+5.5%) |
| Software Developers | $126,460 | $127,310 | $129,843 (+2.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,290 | $65,990 | $67,303 (−15.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,630 | $86,100 | $87,813 (+11.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.