City comparison
Des Moines, IA vs Greeley, CO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Greeley, CO are 9.2% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $109,200 in Greeley, CO to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,238 a month in Greeley, CO versus $1,109 in Des Moines, IA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Greeley, CO and 18% in Des Moines, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $543 a year higher in Greeley, CO than in Des Moines, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.6% moving from Des Moines, IA to Greeley, CO ($107,301 → $118,675), while prices change by +9.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.2% in real buying power.
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (much cheaper)
- Greeley, CO: price level 100.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Des Moines, IA | Greeley, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.7 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,242 in Greeley | $91,540 in Des Moines |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,109/mo | $1,238/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,820 | $55,070 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | Denver-Aurora, CO |
Rent areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area and Greeley, CO MSA. Metro areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and Greeley, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Des Moines | Greeley |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.7 | 112.6 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 84.6 | 82.0 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 91.7 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Des Moines, IA → Greeley, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$543/yr.
42 Weak offer
Greeley, CO → Des Moines, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$543/yr.
98 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Des Moines, IA is in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA pay area; Greeley, CO is in Denver-Aurora, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Des Moines, IA to Greeley, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Des Moines, IA | Greeley, CO | Real change, Des Moines → Greeley |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,223 | $68,819 | +1.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,284 | $83,265 | +1.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,234 | $99,800 | +1.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,301 | $118,675 | +1.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,797 | $140,239 | +1.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Des Moines, IA | Greeley, CO | Greeley pay in Des Moines dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $60,160 | $55,070 (−10.7%) |
| Software Developers | $126,460 | $129,480 | $118,526 (−6.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,290 | $87,240 | $79,859 (+0.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,630 | $96,300 | $88,153 (+12.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.