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 | Des Moines | Lakewood | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $995/mo | $941/mo | 5.7% higher in A |
| Median home value | $170,700 | $221,100 | 22.8% lower in A |
| Median household income | $62,378 | $63,299 | 1.5% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 94.5 | 94.4 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 86.7 | 94.7 | 8.4% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 94.1 | 98.3 | 4.3% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 94.8 | 99.0 | 4.3% lower 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 Des Moines, you'd need $99,932 in Lakewood to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Des Moines and Lakewood have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 6% lower in Lakewood than in Des Moines. If you earn $80,000 in Des Moines, you'd need about $79,946 in Lakewood to keep the same standard of living.