City comparison
Cedar Rapids, IA is about 100 miles (175 km) from Des Moines, IA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 125 miles, or about 2 h 15 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Cedar Rapids, IA to Des Moines, IA takes about 12 min, covering roughly 100 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Des Moines has a population of 213,164, vs 136,929 in Cedar Rapids — about 1.6× larger by population. By land area, Des Moines covers about 88 sq mi vs 75 sq mi for Cedar Rapids.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
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 | Cedar Rapids | Des Moines | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $886/mo | $995/mo | 12.3% higher in Des Moines |
| Median home value | $167,900 | $170,700 | 1.7% higher in Des Moines |
| Median household income | $66,895 | $62,378 | 7.2% higher in Cedar Rapids |
| Groceries index | 94.0 | 94.0 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 84.7 | 85.2 | 0.6% higher in Des Moines |
| Transportation index | 93.3 | 93.3 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 93.5 | 93.5 | ≈ 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 Cedar Rapids, you'd need $106,599 in Des Moines to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Cedar Rapids, IA is about 6.2% cheaper overall than Des Moines, IA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 18% higher in Des Moines than in Cedar Rapids. If you earn $80,000 in Cedar Rapids, you'd need about $85,280 in Des Moines to keep the same standard of living.