City comparison
Asheville, NC vs Des Moines, IA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Asheville, NC are 5.2% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $105,200 in Asheville, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,429 a month in Asheville, NC versus $1,109 in Des Moines, IA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Asheville, NC and 18% in Des Moines, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $333 a year higher in Asheville, NC than in Des Moines, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.8% moving from Asheville, NC to Des Moines, IA ($106,437 → $107,301), while prices change by −5.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.1% in real buying power.
- Asheville, NC: price level 96.5 (cheaper)
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Asheville, NC | Des Moines, IA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.5 | 91.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,021 in Des Moines | $105,240 in Asheville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,429/mo | $1,109/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $76,032 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $3,148 (IA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,870 | $51,820 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA |
Rent areas: Asheville, NC MSA and Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Asheville, NC and Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Asheville | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.4 | 84.7 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 88.6 | 84.6 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 92.9 |
| Overall | 96.5 | 91.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Asheville, NC → Des Moines, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$333/yr.
85 Strong offer
Des Moines, IA → Asheville, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.0%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$333/yr.
53 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Asheville, NC is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Des Moines, IA is in Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA. The last column shows what a transfer from Asheville, NC to Des Moines, IA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Asheville, NC | Des Moines, IA | Real change, Asheville → Des Moines |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,223 | +6.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,284 | +6.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,234 | +6.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,301 | +6.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,797 | +6.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Asheville, NC | Des Moines, IA | Des Moines pay in Asheville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,080 | $61,650 | $64,880 (+29.6%) |
| Software Developers | $134,350 | $126,460 | $133,086 (−0.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,400 | $79,290 | $83,445 (+3.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,590 | $78,630 | $82,750 (+1.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.