Des Moines, IA vs Boston, MA
Moving from Des Moines to Boston? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($296,070 → $741,868 median home) and taxes.
Des Moines vs Boston 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 $119,020 in Boston, MA (+$19,020).
Livability — Des Moines, IA: 68 · Boston, MA: 48 (0–100).
What your home budget buys
A $500,000 home budget gets you about 2,787 sqft in Des Moines vs 1,146 sqft in Boston ($179 vs $436 per sqft).
Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)
| Category | Des Moines, IA | Boston, MA | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $15,516 | $38,532 | +$23,016 |
| Groceries | $4,831 | $5,040 | +$209 |
| Transportation | $3,150 | $3,210 | +$60 |
| Utilities | $1,500 | $3,180 | +$1,680 |
| Insurance | $1,700 | $1,800 | +$100 |
| Taxes | $10,265 | $17,694 | +$7,429 |
| Total | $36,962 | $69,455 | +$32,493 |
Side by side
| Metric | Des Moines, IA | Boston, MA |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living index | 92.8 | 110.4 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.14% | 5.02% |
| Population growth (5-yr) | 14.2% | 2.9% |
| Air quality (median AQI) | 45 | 43 |
| Big Mac price (est.) | $5.28 | $6.28 |
| Median home price | $296,070 | $741,868 |
| Home price ÷ income | 3.7× | 6.9× |
| 1-yr home appreciation | 1.2% | 1.6% |
| Price per square foot | $179 | $436 |
| Median rent | $1,293 | $3,211 |
| Total tax burden (% income) | 11.2% | 11.5% |
| Combined sales tax | 6.94% | 6.25% |
| Capital gains tax | 3.80% | 9.00% |
| Property tax rate | 1.71% | 1.14% |
| Healthcare (annual) | $6,400 | $8,200 |
| Childcare (annual, infant) | $11,000 | $21,000 |
| Vehicle property tax | 1.00% | 2.25% |
| Avg commute (min) | 21 | 31 |
| Home insurance / yr | $1,700 | $1,800 |
| Auto insurance / yr | $1,200 | $1,500 |
| Flood insurance / yr | $700 | $800 |
| Earthquake insurance / yr | $100 | $100 |
| Electricity ¢/kWh | 13.9 | 29.4 |
| Gas $/gal | 3.10 | 3.30 |
| Violent crime /100k | 300 | 330 |
| Avg summer high °F | 85 | 82 |
| Avg winter low °F | 12 | 22 |
| Permit difficulty (1–5) | 2 | 4 |