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 | Dallas | West Des Moines | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,305/mo | $1,153/mo | 13.2% higher in A |
| Median home value | $270,700 | $266,700 | 1.5% higher in A |
| Median household income | $63,985 | $82,345 | 22.3% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 99.1 | 94.5 | 4.9% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 85.9 | 86.7 | 1.0% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 95.9 | 94.1 | 1.9% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.7 | 94.8 | 5.2% 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 Dallas, you'd need $87,495 in West Des Moines to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
West Des Moines, IA is about 12.5% cheaper overall than Dallas, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 24% lower in West Des Moines than in Dallas. If you earn $80,000 in Dallas, you'd need about $69,996 in West Des Moines to keep the same standard of living.