City comparison
Denver, CO 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 Denver, CO are 15.4% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $115,400 in Denver, CO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,754 a month in Denver, CO versus $1,109 in Des Moines, IA. On $100,000, that's 28% of take-home pay in Denver, CO and 18% in Des Moines, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $543 a year higher in Denver, CO than in Des Moines, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.6% moving from Denver, CO to Des Moines, IA ($118,675 → $107,301), while prices change by −13.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.3% in real buying power.
- Denver, CO: price level 105.8 (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
| Denver, CO | Des Moines, IA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.8 | 91.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $86,689 in Des Moines | $115,355 in Denver |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,754/mo | $1,109/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $76,032 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $3,148 (IA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 28% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $62,320 | $51,820 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA |
Rent areas: Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO MSA and Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO and Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Denver | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 146.9 | 84.7 |
| Goods | 101.0 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 87.9 | 84.6 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 92.9 |
| Overall | 105.8 | 91.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Denver, CO → Des Moines, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$543/yr.
100 Strong offer
Des Moines, IA → Denver, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.3%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$543/yr.
33 Weak offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Denver, CO is in the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area; Des Moines, IA is in Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA. The last column shows what a transfer from Denver, CO to Des Moines, IA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Denver, CO | Des Moines, IA | Real change, Denver → Des Moines |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,819 | $62,223 | +4.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,265 | $75,284 | +4.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,800 | $90,234 | +4.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,675 | $107,301 | +4.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,239 | $126,797 | +4.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Denver, CO | Des Moines, IA | Des Moines pay in Denver dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $136,670 | $123,740 | $142,741 (+4.4%) |
| Software Developers | $137,610 | $126,460 | $145,878 (+6.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $100,020 | $79,290 | $91,465 (−8.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,130 | $78,630 | $90,704 (−10.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.