Des Moines, IA vs Baltimore, MD
Moving from Des Moines to Baltimore? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($296,070 → $405,877 median home) and taxes.
Des Moines vs Baltimore at a glance
Bars scaled to the range across all 200 metros; labels show actual values.
To keep the same standard of living as $100,000 in Des Moines, IA, you'd need about $111,247 in Baltimore, MD (+$11,247).
Livability — Des Moines, IA: 68 · Baltimore, MD: 57 (0–100).
What your home budget buys
A $500,000 home budget gets you about 2,787 sqft in Des Moines vs 2,341 sqft in Baltimore ($179 vs $214 per sqft).
Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)
| Category | Des Moines, IA | Baltimore, MD | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $15,516 | $23,028 | +$7,512 |
| Groceries | $4,831 | $5,075 | +$244 |
| Transportation | $3,150 | $3,685 | +$535 |
| Utilities | $1,500 | $2,388 | +$888 |
| Insurance | $1,700 | $1,400 | −$300 |
| Taxes | $10,265 | $11,584 | +$1,319 |
| Total | $36,962 | $47,160 | +$10,198 |
Side by side
| Metric | Des Moines, IA | Baltimore, MD |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living index | 92.8 | 103.2 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.14% | 4.86% |
| Population growth (5-yr) | 14.2% | 1.7% |
| Air quality (median AQI) | 45 | 47 |
| Big Mac price (est.) | $5.28 | $5.87 |
| Median home price | $296,070 | $405,877 |
| Home price ÷ income | 3.7× | 4.3× |
| 1-yr home appreciation | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| Price per square foot | $179 | $214 |
| Median rent | $1,293 | $1,919 |
| Total tax burden (% income) | 11.2% | 11.3% |
| Combined sales tax | 6.94% | 6.00% |
| Capital gains tax | 3.80% | 5.75% |
| Property tax rate | 1.71% | 1.04% |
| Healthcare (annual) | $6,400 | $7,200 |
| Childcare (annual, infant) | $11,000 | $16,000 |
| Vehicle property tax | 1.00% | None |
| Avg commute (min) | 21 | 30 |
| Home insurance / yr | $1,700 | $1,400 |
| Auto insurance / yr | $1,200 | $1,900 |
| Flood insurance / yr | $700 | $750 |
| Earthquake insurance / yr | $100 | $100 |
| Electricity ¢/kWh | 13.9 | 22.1 |
| Gas $/gal | 3.10 | 3.30 |
| Violent crime /100k | 300 | 450 |
| Avg summer high °F | 85 | 88 |
| Avg winter low °F | 12 | 27 |
| Permit difficulty (1–5) | 2 | 4 |