City comparison
Des Moines, IA vs Greensboro, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Greensboro, NC are 1.3% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $101,300 in Greensboro, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,213 a month in Greensboro, NC versus $1,109 in Des Moines, IA. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Greensboro, NC and 18% in Des Moines, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $333 a year higher in Greensboro, NC 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 Greensboro, NC ($107,301 → $106,437), while prices change by +1.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.0% in real buying power.
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (much cheaper)
- Greensboro, NC: price level 92.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Des Moines, IA | Greensboro, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.7 | 92.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,269 in Greensboro | $98,747 in Des Moines |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,109/mo | $1,213/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,820 | $46,570 |
| 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 Greensboro-High Point, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and Greensboro-High Point, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Des Moines | Greensboro |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.7 | 74.5 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 84.6 | 89.1 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 91.7 | 92.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Des Moines, IA → Greensboro, NC
Roughly even
Buying power −1.3%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$333/yr.
65 Fair offer
Greensboro, NC → Des Moines, IA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$333/yr.
73 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Des Moines, IA is in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA pay area; Greensboro, NC is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Des Moines, IA to Greensboro, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Des Moines, IA | Greensboro, NC | Real change, Des Moines → Greensboro |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,223 | $61,722 | −2.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,284 | $74,678 | −2.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,234 | $89,508 | −2.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,301 | $106,437 | −2.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,797 | $125,776 | −2.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Des Moines, IA | Greensboro, NC | Greensboro pay in Des Moines dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $59,730 | $58,981 (−4.3%) |
| Software Developers | $126,460 | $125,190 | $123,621 (−2.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,290 | $80,170 | $79,165 (−0.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,630 | $82,860 | $81,821 (+4.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.