City comparison
Des Moines, IA vs Springfield, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Springfield, MA are 4.8% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $104,800 in Springfield, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,382 a month in Springfield, MA versus $1,109 in Des Moines, IA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Springfield, MA and 18% in Des Moines, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,632 a year higher in Springfield, MA than in Des Moines, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.9% moving from Des Moines, IA to Springfield, MA ($107,301 → $120,094), while prices change by +4.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.8% in real buying power.
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (much cheaper)
- Springfield, MA: price level 96.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Des Moines, IA | Springfield, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.7 | 96.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,755 in Springfield | $95,461 in Des Moines |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,109/mo | $1,382/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,820 | $51,930 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area and Springfield, MA MSA. Metro areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and Springfield, MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Des Moines | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.7 | 75.8 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 97.0 |
| Utilities | 84.6 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 101.2 |
| Overall | 91.7 | 96.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Des Moines, IA → Springfield, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.5%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$1,632/yr.
55 Fair offer
Springfield, MA → Des Moines, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,632/yr.
84 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Des Moines, IA is in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA pay area; Springfield, MA is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Des Moines, IA to Springfield, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Des Moines, IA | Springfield, MA | Real change, Des Moines → Springfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,223 | $69,642 | +6.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,284 | $84,260 | +6.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,234 | $100,992 | +6.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,301 | $120,094 | +6.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,797 | $141,915 | +6.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Des Moines, IA | Springfield, MA | Springfield pay in Des Moines dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $79,640 | $76,025 (+23.3%) |
| Software Developers | $126,460 | $127,740 | $121,942 (−3.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,290 | $92,010 | $87,834 (+10.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,630 | $98,410 | $93,943 (+19.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.