City comparison
Des Moines, IA vs Salem, OR
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salem, OR are 13.0% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $113,000 in Salem, OR to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,201 a month in Salem, OR versus $1,109 in Des Moines, IA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Salem, OR and 18% in Des Moines, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,772 a year higher in Salem, OR than in Des Moines, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.9% moving from Des Moines, IA to Salem, OR ($107,301 → $114,684), while prices change by +13.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.4% in real buying power.
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (much cheaper)
- Salem, OR: price level 103.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Des Moines, IA | Salem, OR | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.7 | 103.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,029 in Salem | $88,473 in Des Moines |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,109/mo | $1,201/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $71,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $7,920 (OR) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,820 | $55,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA |
Rent areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area and Salem, OR MSA. Metro areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and Salem, OR.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Des Moines | Salem |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.7 | 110.3 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 105.3 |
| Utilities | 84.6 | 104.7 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 91.7 | 103.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Des Moines, IA → Salem, OR
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$4,772/yr.
38 Weak offer
Salem, OR → Des Moines, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,772/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Des Moines, IA is in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA pay area; Salem, OR is in Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Des Moines, IA to Salem, OR at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Des Moines, IA | Salem, OR | Real change, Des Moines → Salem |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,223 | $66,505 | −5.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,284 | $80,465 | −5.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,234 | $96,443 | −5.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,301 | $114,684 | −5.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,797 | $135,522 | −5.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Des Moines, IA | Salem, OR | Salem pay in Des Moines dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $74,810 | $66,186 (+7.4%) |
| Software Developers | $126,460 | $131,620 | $116,448 (−7.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,290 | $87,480 | $77,396 (−2.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,630 | $131,750 | $116,563 (+48.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.