City comparison
Kenner, LA is about 800 miles (1,300 km) from West Des Moines, IA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 1,000 miles, or about 17 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 Kenner, LA to West Des Moines, IA takes about 1 h 39 min, covering roughly 800 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.
West Des Moines has a population of 68,744, vs 65,785 in Kenner — about the same size. By land area, West Des Moines covers about 47 sq mi vs 15 sq mi for Kenner.
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 | Kenner | West Des Moines | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,085/mo | $1,153/mo | 6.3% higher in West Des Moines |
| Median home value | $229,000 | $266,700 | 16.5% higher in West Des Moines |
| Median household income | $60,557 | $82,345 | 36.0% higher in West Des Moines |
| Groceries index | 94.1 | 94.0 | ≈ equal (Kenner slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 73.3 | 85.2 | 16.2% higher in West Des Moines |
| Transportation index | 96.1 | 93.3 | 3.1% higher in Kenner |
| Healthcare index | 95.6 | 93.5 | 2.3% higher in Kenner |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Kenner, you'd need $99,899 in West Des Moines to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Kenner and West Des Moines have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Kenner, you'd need about $79,919 in West Des Moines to keep the same standard of living.