City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Ames | Des Moines | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,011/mo | $995/mo | 1.6% higher in A |
| Median home value | $247,500 | $170,700 | 45.0% higher in A |
| Median household income | $57,428 | $62,378 | 7.9% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 94.5 | 94.5 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 85.6 | 86.7 | 1.3% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 94.1 | 94.1 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 94.8 | 94.8 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Ames, you'd need $105,399 in Des Moines to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Ames, IA is about 5.1% cheaper overall than Des Moines, IA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 13% lower in Ames than in Des Moines. If you earn $80,000 in Ames, you'd need about $84,319 in Des Moines to keep the same standard of living.