City comparison
Des Moines, IA vs Phoenix, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Phoenix, AZ are 12.7% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $112,700 in Phoenix, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,583 a month in Phoenix, AZ versus $1,109 in Des Moines, IA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Phoenix, AZ and 18% in Des Moines, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $857 a year higher in Des Moines, IA than in Phoenix, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.8% moving from Des Moines, IA to Phoenix, AZ ($107,301 → $111,338), while prices change by +12.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.9% in real buying power.
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (much cheaper)
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Des Moines, IA | Phoenix, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.7 | 103.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,666 in Phoenix | $88,758 in Des Moines |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,109/mo | $1,583/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,820 | $51,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ |
Rent areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Des Moines | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.7 | 121.2 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 95.0 |
| Utilities | 84.6 | 93.3 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 104.0 |
| Overall | 91.7 | 103.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Des Moines, IA → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$857/yr.
38 Weak offer
Phoenix, AZ → Des Moines, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$857/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Des Moines, IA is in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA pay area; Phoenix, AZ is in Phoenix-Mesa, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Des Moines, IA to Phoenix, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Des Moines, IA | Phoenix, AZ | Real change, Des Moines → Phoenix |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,223 | $64,564 | −7.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,284 | $78,117 | −7.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,234 | $93,629 | −7.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,301 | $111,338 | −7.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,797 | $131,568 | −7.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Des Moines, IA | Phoenix, AZ | Phoenix pay in Des Moines dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $59,180 | $52,527 (−14.8%) |
| Software Developers | $126,460 | $131,750 | $116,938 (−7.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,290 | $80,820 | $71,734 (−9.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,630 | $100,830 | $89,494 (+13.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.