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 | Columbia | West Des Moines | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,105/mo | $1,153/mo | 4.2% lower in A |
| Median home value | $226,200 | $266,700 | 15.2% lower in A |
| Median household income | $54,095 | $82,345 | 34.3% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.0 | 94.5 | 2.7% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 90.3 | 86.7 | 4.1% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 99.0 | 94.1 | 5.2% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.2 | 94.8 | 2.6% higher in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Columbia, you'd need $100,000 in West Des Moines to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Columbia and West Des Moines have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 6% lower in Columbia than in West Des Moines. If you earn $80,000 in Columbia, you'd need about $80,000 in West Des Moines to keep the same standard of living.