City comparison
Des Moines, IA vs Miami, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Miami, FL are 24.5% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $124,500 in Miami, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,995 a month in Miami, FL versus $1,109 in Des Moines, IA. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Miami, FL 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 Miami, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.6% moving from Des Moines, IA to Miami, FL ($107,301 → $113,356), while prices change by +24.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −15.1% in real buying power.
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (much cheaper)
- Miami, FL: price level 114.2 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Des Moines, IA | Miami, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.7 | 114.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $124,486 in Miami | $80,330 in Des Moines |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,109/mo | $1,995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,820 | $48,640 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area and Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Des Moines | Miami |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.7 | 155.6 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 103.6 |
| Utilities | 84.6 | 97.2 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 109.1 |
| Overall | 91.7 | 114.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Des Moines, IA → Miami, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −19.7%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax −$3,148/yr.
30 Weak offer
Miami, FL → Des Moines, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +24.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,148/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Des Moines, IA is in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA pay area; Miami, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Des Moines, IA to Miami, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Des Moines, IA | Miami, FL | Real change, Des Moines → Miami |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,223 | $65,735 | −15.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,284 | $79,533 | −15.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,234 | $95,326 | −15.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,301 | $113,356 | −15.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,797 | $133,953 | −15.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Des Moines, IA | Miami, FL | Miami pay in Des Moines dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $58,300 | $46,833 (−24.0%) |
| Software Developers | $126,460 | $132,650 | $106,558 (−15.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,290 | $80,920 | $65,003 (−18.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,630 | $91,380 | $73,406 (−6.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.