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 | New York | West Des Moines | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,714/mo | $1,153/mo | 48.7% higher in A |
| Median home value | $732,100 | $266,700 | 174.5% higher in A |
| Median household income | $76,607 | $82,345 | 7.0% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 108.1 | 94.5 | 14.4% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 133.1 | 86.7 | 53.5% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 104.3 | 94.1 | 10.8% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 104.1 | 94.8 | 9.8% 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 New York, you'd need $72,581 in West Des Moines to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
West Des Moines, IA is about 27.4% cheaper overall than New York, NY, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 40% lower in West Des Moines than in New York. If you earn $80,000 in New York, you'd need about $58,065 in West Des Moines to keep the same standard of living.