City comparison
Des Moines, IA vs Eugene, OR
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Eugene, OR are 10.8% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $110,800 in Eugene, OR to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,286 a month in Eugene, OR versus $1,109 in Des Moines, IA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Eugene, OR and 18% in Des Moines, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,772 a year higher in Eugene, OR than in Des Moines, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.8% moving from Des Moines, IA to Eugene, OR ($107,301 → $106,437), while prices change by +10.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.4% in real buying power.
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (much cheaper)
- Eugene, OR: price level 101.6 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Des Moines, IA | Eugene, OR | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.7 | 101.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,760 in Eugene | $90,285 in Des Moines |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,109/mo | $1,286/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $71,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $7,920 (OR) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,820 | $49,680 |
| 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 Eugene-Springfield, OR MSA. Metro areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and Eugene-Springfield, OR.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Des Moines | Eugene |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.7 | 98.3 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 105.3 |
| Utilities | 84.6 | 102.5 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 91.7 | 101.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Des Moines, IA → Eugene, OR
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.7%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$4,772/yr.
38 Weak offer
Eugene, OR → Des Moines, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,772/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Des Moines, IA is in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA pay area; Eugene, OR is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Des Moines, IA to Eugene, OR at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Des Moines, IA | Eugene, OR | Real change, Des Moines → Eugene |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,223 | $61,722 | −10.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,284 | $74,678 | −10.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,234 | $89,508 | −10.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,301 | $106,437 | −10.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,797 | $125,776 | −10.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Des Moines, IA | Eugene, OR | Eugene pay in Des Moines dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $64,260 | $58,017 (−5.9%) |
| Software Developers | $126,460 | $121,050 | $109,290 (−13.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,290 | $79,930 | $72,165 (−9.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,630 | $113,720 | $102,672 (+30.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.