City comparison
Des Moines, IA vs Utica, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Utica, NY are 1.1% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $101,100 in Utica, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,109 a month in Des Moines, IA versus $926 in Utica, NY. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Des Moines, IA and 15% in Utica, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,712 a year higher in Utica, NY than in Des Moines, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.8% moving from Des Moines, IA to Utica, NY ($107,301 → $106,437), while prices change by +1.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.9% in real buying power.
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (much cheaper)
- Utica, NY: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Des Moines, IA | Utica, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.7 | 92.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,065 in Utica | $98,946 in Des Moines |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,109/mo | $926/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% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,820 | $48,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area and Utica-Rome, NY MSA. Metro areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and Utica-Rome, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Des Moines | Utica |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.7 | 66.1 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 84.6 | 131.9 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 91.7 | 92.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Des Moines, IA → Utica, NY
Roughly even
Buying power −1.1%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$1,712/yr.
65 Fair offer
Utica, NY → Des Moines, IA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,712/yr.
72 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Des Moines, IA is in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA pay area; Utica, NY is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Des Moines, IA to Utica, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Des Moines, IA | Utica, NY | Real change, Des Moines → Utica |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,223 | $61,722 | −1.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,284 | $74,678 | −1.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,234 | $89,508 | −1.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,301 | $106,437 | −1.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,797 | $125,776 | −1.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Des Moines, IA | Utica, NY | Utica pay in Des Moines dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $77,010 | $76,198 (+23.6%) |
| Software Developers | $126,460 | $113,390 | $112,195 (−11.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,290 | $79,830 | $78,988 (−0.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,630 | $94,300 | $93,306 (+18.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.