City comparison
Des Moines, IA vs Reno, NV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reno, NV are 10.2% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $110,200 in Reno, NV to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,489 a month in Reno, NV versus $1,109 in Des Moines, IA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Reno, NV 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 Reno, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.4% moving from Des Moines, IA to Reno, NV ($107,301 → $106,855), while prices change by +10.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.6% in real buying power.
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (much cheaper)
- Reno, NV: price level 101.0 (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 | Reno, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.7 | 101.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,156 in Reno | $90,780 in Des Moines |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,109/mo | $1,489/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,820 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | Reno-Fernley, NV |
Rent areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area and Reno, NV HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and Reno, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Des Moines | Reno |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.7 | 123.5 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 84.6 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 91.7 | 101.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Des Moines, IA → Reno, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.2%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$3,148/yr.
40 Weak offer
Reno, NV → Des Moines, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.2%; 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; Reno, NV is in Reno-Fernley, NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Des Moines, IA to Reno, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Des Moines, IA | Reno, NV | Real change, Des Moines → Reno |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,223 | $61,965 | −9.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,284 | $74,972 | −9.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,234 | $89,859 | −9.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,301 | $106,855 | −9.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,797 | $126,271 | −9.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Des Moines, IA | Reno, NV | Reno pay in Des Moines dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $62,430 | $56,674 (−8.1%) |
| Software Developers | $126,460 | $125,710 | $114,120 (−9.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,290 | $82,370 | $74,776 (−5.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,630 | $107,520 | $97,607 (+24.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.