City comparison
Des Moines, IA vs Richmond, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Richmond, VA are 6.7% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $106,700 in Richmond, VA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Richmond, VA versus $1,109 in Des Moines, IA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Richmond, VA and 18% in Des Moines, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,788 a year higher in Richmond, VA than in Des Moines, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.6% moving from Des Moines, IA to Richmond, VA ($107,301 → $111,183), while prices change by +6.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.9% in real buying power.
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (much cheaper)
- Richmond, VA: price level 97.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Des Moines, IA | Richmond, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.7 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,714 in Richmond | $93,708 in Des Moines |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,109/mo | $1,507/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,820 | $51,460 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | Richmond, VA |
Rent areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area and Richmond, VA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and Richmond, VA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Des Moines | Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.7 | 99.1 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 84.6 | 89.2 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 91.7 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Des Moines, IA → Richmond, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,788/yr.
49 Fair offer
Richmond, VA → Des Moines, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,788/yr.
90 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Des Moines, IA is in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA pay area; Richmond, VA is in Richmond, VA. The last column shows what a transfer from Des Moines, IA to Richmond, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Des Moines, IA | Richmond, VA | Real change, Des Moines → Richmond |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,223 | $64,475 | −2.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,284 | $78,009 | −2.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,234 | $93,499 | −2.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,301 | $111,183 | −2.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,797 | $131,385 | −2.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Des Moines, IA | Richmond, VA | Richmond pay in Des Moines dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $61,290 | $57,434 (−6.8%) |
| Software Developers | $126,460 | $132,120 | $123,807 (−2.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,290 | $84,220 | $78,921 (−0.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,630 | $93,580 | $87,692 (+11.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.