City comparison
Baltimore, MD vs Des Moines, IA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Baltimore, MD are 13.9% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $113,900 in Baltimore, MD to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,511 a month in Baltimore, MD versus $1,109 in Des Moines, IA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Baltimore, MD and 18% in Des Moines, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,238 a year higher in Baltimore, MD than in Des Moines, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.9% moving from Baltimore, MD to Des Moines, IA ($121,785 → $107,301), while prices change by −12.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.4% in real buying power.
- Baltimore, MD: price level 104.5 (pricier)
- 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
| Baltimore, MD | Des Moines, IA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.5 | 91.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $87,763 in Des Moines | $113,943 in Baltimore |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,511/mo | $1,109/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $76,032 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $3,148 (IA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,070 | $51,820 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA |
Rent areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA and Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD and Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baltimore | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 118.2 | 84.7 |
| Goods | 102.4 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 110.2 | 84.6 |
| Other services | 101.5 | 92.9 |
| Overall | 104.5 | 91.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baltimore, MD → Des Moines, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,238/yr.
100 Strong offer
Des Moines, IA → Baltimore, MD
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.2%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,238/yr.
38 Weak offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Baltimore, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Des Moines, IA is in Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA. The last column shows what a transfer from Baltimore, MD to Des Moines, IA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baltimore, MD | Des Moines, IA | Real change, Baltimore → Des Moines |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $62,223 | +0.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $75,284 | +0.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $90,234 | +0.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $107,301 | +0.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $126,797 | +0.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baltimore, MD | Des Moines, IA | Des Moines pay in Baltimore dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $138,170 | $123,740 | $140,993 (+2.0%) |
| Software Developers | $138,900 | $126,460 | $144,092 (+3.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,160 | $79,290 | $90,346 (+6.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,550 | $78,630 | $89,593 (−10.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.