City comparison
Des Moines, IA vs Rochester, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Rochester, NY are 5.8% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $105,800 in Rochester, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,256 a month in Rochester, NY versus $1,109 in Des Moines, IA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Rochester, NY and 18% in Des Moines, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,712 a year higher in Rochester, NY than in Des Moines, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.1% moving from Des Moines, IA to Rochester, NY ($107,301 → $107,182), while prices change by +5.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.6% in real buying power.
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (much cheaper)
- Rochester, NY: price level 97.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Des Moines, IA | Rochester, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.7 | 97.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,817 in Rochester | $94,503 in Des Moines |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,109/mo | $1,256/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,820 | $51,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY |
Rent areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area and Rochester, NY MSA. Metro areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and Rochester, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Des Moines | Rochester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.7 | 87.5 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 84.6 | 133.2 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 91.7 | 97.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Des Moines, IA → Rochester, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,712/yr.
52 Fair offer
Rochester, NY → Des Moines, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,712/yr.
87 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Des Moines, IA is in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA pay area; Rochester, NY is in Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY. The last column shows what a transfer from Des Moines, IA to Rochester, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Des Moines, IA | Rochester, NY | Real change, Des Moines → Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,223 | $62,155 | −5.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,284 | $75,202 | −5.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,234 | $90,135 | −5.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,301 | $107,182 | −5.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,797 | $126,657 | −5.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Des Moines, IA | Rochester, NY | Rochester pay in Des Moines dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $62,840 | $59,386 (−3.7%) |
| Software Developers | $126,460 | $122,770 | $116,021 (−8.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,290 | $80,890 | $76,443 (−3.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,630 | $86,570 | $81,811 (+4.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.