Des Moines, IA vs Chicago, IL
Moving from Des Moines to Chicago? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($296,070 → $353,998 median home) and taxes.
Des Moines vs Chicago 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 $115,885 in Chicago, IL (+$15,885).
Livability — Des Moines, IA: 68 · Chicago, IL: 63 (0–100).
What your home budget buys
A $500,000 home budget gets you about 2,787 sqft in Des Moines vs 2,402 sqft in Chicago ($179 vs $208 per sqft).
Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)
| Category | Des Moines, IA | Chicago, IL | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $15,516 | $27,192 | +$11,676 |
| Groceries | $4,831 | $5,215 | +$384 |
| Transportation | $3,150 | $3,550 | +$400 |
| Utilities | $4,476 | $4,800 | +$324 |
| Insurance | $180 | $180 | +$0 |
| Taxes | $6,229 | $8,051 | +$1,822 |
| Total | $34,382 | $48,988 | +$14,606 |
Effective state & local tax rate on $100,000 — Des Moines, IA: 6.2% · Chicago, IL: 8.1% (income + local + sales + property tax where applicable ÷ income)
Assumptions: 500 gal gasoline/yr · $5000 base annual grocery · 35% of income sales-taxable. Renter: housing = median rent, renter's insurance, no property tax.
Side by side
| Metric | Des Moines, IA | Chicago, IL |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living index | 92.8 | 102.5 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.14% | 6.19% |
| Population growth (5-yr) | 14.2% | 0.2% |
| Air quality (median AQI) | 45 | 56 |
| Big Mac price (est.) | $5.28 | $5.83 |
| Median home price | $296,070 | $353,998 |
| Home price ÷ income | 3.7× | 4.2× |
| 1-yr home appreciation | 1.2% | 4.4% |
| Price per square foot | $179 | $208 |
| Median rent | $1,293 | $2,266 |
| Total tax burden (state avg, Tax Foundation) | 11.2% | 12.9% |
| Combined sales tax | 6.94% | 8.86% |
| Capital gains tax | 3.80% | 4.95% |
| Property tax rate | 1.71% | 2.11% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 78.1 yrs | 78.2 yrs |
| Healthcare (annual) | $6,400 | $6,800 |
| Uninsured (share of residents) | 5.1% | 8.4% |
| Primary care providers / 100k | 79 | 85 |
| Childcare (annual, infant) | $11,000 | $14,000 |
| Vehicle property tax | 1.00% | None |
| Days per year ≥ 90°F | 18 | 18 |
| Days per year ≥ 100°F | 1 | 1 |
| Homes with air conditioning (state) | 97% | 96% |
| Avg commute (min) | 21 | 31 |
| Commute by driving alone | 74.3% | 63.6% |
| Home insurance / yr | $1,700 | $1,900 |
| Auto insurance / yr | $1,200 | $1,600 |
| FEMA risk index (0–100, higher = more risk) | 78.6 — Relatively Low | 97.1 — Relatively High |
| Flood insurance / yr | $700 | $700 |
| Earthquake insurance / yr | $100 | $300 |
| Electricity ¢/kWh | 13.9 | 20.5 |
| Gas $/gal | 3.10 | 3.60 |
| Natural gas / mo | $73 | $82 |
| Water & sewer / mo | $82 | $57 |
| Home internet / mo | $93 | $77 |
| Violent crime /100k (state avg) | 300 | 430 |
| Avg summer high °F | 85 | 85 |
| Avg winter low °F | 12 | 15 |
| Annual precipitation (in) | 35.0 | 40.9 |
| Annual snowfall (in) | 35.0 | 38.8 |
| Sunshine (% possible) | 55% | 54% |
| Permit difficulty (1–5) | 2 | 4 |
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