City comparison
Des Moines, IA is about 500 miles (800 km) from Olive Branch, MS in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 650 miles, or about 10 hours 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 Des Moines, IA to Olive Branch, MS takes about 1 h, covering roughly 500 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 45,938 in Olive Branch — about 4.6× larger by population. By land area, Des Moines covers about 88 sq mi vs 56 sq mi for Olive Branch.
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 | Des Moines | Olive Branch | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $995/mo | $1,504/mo | 51.2% higher in Olive Branch |
| Median home value | $170,700 | $245,800 | 44.0% higher in Olive Branch |
| Median household income | $62,378 | $93,762 | 50.3% higher in Olive Branch |
| Groceries index | 94.0 | 96.4 | 2.6% higher in Olive Branch |
| Utilities index | 85.2 | 76.0 | 12.2% higher in Des Moines |
| Transportation index | 93.3 | 95.8 | 2.7% higher in Olive Branch |
| Healthcare index | 93.5 | 95.3 | 2.0% higher in Olive Branch |
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 $99,955 in Olive Branch to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Des Moines and Olive Branch have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Des Moines, you'd need about $79,964 in Olive Branch to keep the same standard of living.