City comparison
Des Moines, IA vs Houston, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 7.6% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $107,600 in Houston, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,323 a month in Houston, TX versus $1,109 in Des Moines, IA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 18% in Des Moines, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,148 a year higher in Des Moines, IA than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +14.4% moving from Des Moines, IA to Houston, TX ($107,301 → $122,749), while prices change by +7.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.4% in real buying power.
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (much cheaper)
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (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 | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.7 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,555 in Houston | $92,976 in Des Moines |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,109/mo | $1,323/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% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,820 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Des Moines | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.7 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 84.6 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 91.7 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Des Moines, IA → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$3,148/yr.
47 Fair offer
Houston, TX → Des Moines, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,148/yr.
92 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Des Moines, IA is in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA pay area; Houston, TX is in Houston-The Woodlands, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Des Moines, IA to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Des Moines, IA | Houston, TX | Real change, Des Moines → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,223 | $71,181 | +6.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,284 | $86,123 | +6.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,234 | $103,225 | +6.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,301 | $122,749 | +6.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,797 | $145,052 | +6.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Des Moines, IA | Houston, TX | Houston pay in Des Moines dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $64,500 | $59,969 (−2.7%) |
| Software Developers | $126,460 | $129,440 | $120,348 (−4.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,290 | $85,090 | $79,113 (−0.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,630 | $99,830 | $92,818 (+18.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.