City comparison
Des Moines, IA vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 21.2% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $121,200 in Seattle, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,146 a month in Seattle, WA versus $1,109 in Des Moines, IA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA 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 Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.5% moving from Des Moines, IA to Seattle, WA ($107,301 → $119,630), while prices change by +21.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.0% in real buying power.
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (much cheaper)
- Seattle, WA: price level 111.1 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Des Moines, IA | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.7 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $121,191 in Seattle | $82,515 in Des Moines |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,109/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,820 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Des Moines | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.7 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 84.6 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 91.7 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Des Moines, IA → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −17.5%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$3,148/yr.
26 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Des Moines, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +21.2%; 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; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Des Moines, IA to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Des Moines, IA | Seattle, WA | Real change, Des Moines → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,223 | $69,373 | −8.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,284 | $83,935 | −8.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,234 | $100,602 | −8.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,301 | $119,630 | −8.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,797 | $141,367 | −8.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Des Moines, IA | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Des Moines dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $102,920 | $84,924 (+37.8%) |
| Software Developers | $126,460 | $167,280 | $138,030 (+9.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,290 | $99,370 | $81,995 (+3.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,630 | $128,260 | $105,833 (+34.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.