City comparison
Des Moines, IA vs Mobile, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Des Moines, IA are 4.1% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $104,100 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 $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Des Moines, IA and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,587 a year higher in Mobile, AL 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 Mobile, AL ($107,301 → $106,437), while prices change by −3.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.3% in real buying power.
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (much cheaper)
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (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 | Mobile, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.7 | 88.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,071 in Mobile | $104,090 in Des Moines |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,109/mo | $919/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,820 | $47,000 |
| 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 Mobile, AL MSA. Metro areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and Mobile, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Des Moines | Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.7 | 60.1 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 84.6 | 84.2 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 91.7 | 88.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Des Moines, IA → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.1%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$1,587/yr.
82 Strong offer
Mobile, AL → Des Moines, IA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,587/yr.
56 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Des Moines, IA is in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA pay area; Mobile, AL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Des Moines, IA to Mobile, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Des Moines, IA | Mobile, AL | Real change, Des Moines → Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,223 | $61,722 | +3.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,284 | $74,678 | +3.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,234 | $89,508 | +3.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,301 | $106,437 | +3.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,797 | $125,776 | +3.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Des Moines, IA | Mobile, AL | Mobile pay in Des Moines dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $60,970 | $63,464 (+2.9%) |
| Software Developers | $126,460 | $122,540 | $127,552 (+0.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,290 | $72,130 | $75,080 (−5.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,630 | $79,490 | $82,741 (+5.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.