Los Angeles, CA vs Des Moines, IA
Moving from Los Angeles to Des Moines? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($968,608 → $296,070 median home) and taxes.
Los Angeles vs Des Moines 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 Los Angeles, CA, you'd need about $70,854 in Des Moines, IA (−$29,146).
Livability — Los Angeles, CA: 42 · Des Moines, IA: 68 (0–100).
What your home budget buys
A $500,000 home budget gets you about 774 sqft in Los Angeles vs 2,787 sqft in Des Moines ($646 vs $179 per sqft).
Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)
| Category | Los Angeles, CA | Des Moines, IA | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $34,908 | $15,516 | −$19,392 |
| Groceries | $5,354 | $4,831 | −$523 |
| Transportation | $5,125 | $3,150 | −$1,975 |
| Utilities | $7,320 | $4,476 | −$2,844 |
| Insurance | $180 | $180 | +$0 |
| Taxes | $8,826 | $6,229 | −$2,597 |
| Total | $61,713 | $34,382 | −$27,331 |
Effective state & local tax rate on $100,000 — Los Angeles, CA: 8.8% · Des Moines, IA: 6.2% (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 | Los Angeles, CA | Des Moines, IA |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living index | 114.7 | 92.8 |
| Unemployment rate | 6.59% | 4.14% |
| Population growth (5-yr) | -1.1% | 14.2% |
| Air quality (median AQI) | 80 | 45 |
| Big Mac price (est.) | $6.53 | $5.28 |
| Median home price | $968,608 | $296,070 |
| Home price ÷ income | 10.9× | 3.7× |
| 1-yr home appreciation | 0.3% | 1.2% |
| Price per square foot | $646 | $179 |
| Median rent | $2,909 | $1,293 |
| Total tax burden (state avg, Tax Foundation) | 13.5% | 11.2% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.82% | 6.94% |
| Capital gains tax | 13.30% | 3.80% |
| Property tax rate | 0.69% | 1.71% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 79.9 yrs | 78.1 yrs |
| Healthcare (annual) | $7,200 | $6,400 |
| Uninsured (share of residents) | 8.9% | 5.1% |
| Primary care providers / 100k | 81 | 79 |
| Childcare (annual, infant) | $19,000 | $11,000 |
| Vehicle property tax | 0.65% | 1.00% |
| Days per year ≥ 90°F | 21 | 18 |
| Days per year ≥ 100°F | 1 | 1 |
| Homes with air conditioning (state) | 72% | 97% |
| Avg commute (min) | 30 | 21 |
| Commute by driving alone | 67.1% | 74.3% |
| Home insurance / yr | $1,500 | $1,700 |
| Auto insurance / yr | $2,400 | $1,200 |
| FEMA risk index (0–100, higher = more risk) | 100.0 — Very High | 78.6 — Relatively Low |
| Flood insurance / yr | $750 | $700 |
| Earthquake insurance / yr | $950 | $100 |
| Electricity ¢/kWh | 35.3 | 13.9 |
| Gas $/gal | 4.85 | 3.10 |
| Natural gas / mo | $72 | $73 |
| Water & sewer / mo | $138 | $82 |
| Home internet / mo | $83 | $93 |
| Violent crime /100k (state avg) | 500 | 300 |
| Avg summer high °F | 84 | 85 |
| Avg winter low °F | 45 | 12 |
| Annual precipitation (in) | 14.3 | 35.0 |
| Annual snowfall (in) | 0.0 | 35.0 |
| Sunshine (% possible) | 73% | 55% |
| Permit difficulty (1–5) | 5 | 2 |
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