City comparison
Des Moines, IA vs Durham, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Durham, NC are 6.4% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $106,400 in Durham, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Durham, NC versus $1,109 in Des Moines, IA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Durham, NC and 18% in Des Moines, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $333 a year higher in Durham, NC than in Des Moines, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.6% moving from Des Moines, IA to Durham, NC ($107,301 → $111,147), while prices change by +6.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.6% in real buying power.
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (much cheaper)
- Durham, NC: price level 97.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Des Moines, IA | Durham, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.7 | 97.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,402 in Durham | $93,983 in Des Moines |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,109/mo | $1,507/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,820 | $60,720 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC |
Rent areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area and Durham-Chapel Hill, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and Durham-Chapel Hill, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Des Moines | Durham |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.7 | 98.9 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 84.6 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 91.7 | 97.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Des Moines, IA → Durham, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$333/yr.
50 Fair offer
Durham, NC → Des Moines, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$333/yr.
89 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Des Moines, IA is in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA pay area; Durham, NC is in Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Des Moines, IA to Durham, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Des Moines, IA | Durham, NC | Real change, Des Moines → Durham |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,223 | $64,453 | −2.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,284 | $77,983 | −2.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,234 | $93,468 | −2.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,301 | $111,147 | −2.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,797 | $131,342 | −2.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Des Moines, IA | Durham, NC | Durham pay in Des Moines dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $51,400 | $48,307 (−21.6%) |
| Software Developers | $126,460 | $135,620 | $127,460 (+0.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,290 | $85,090 | $79,970 (+0.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,630 | not published | — |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.