City comparison
Des Moines, IA vs Portland, ME
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Portland, ME are 11.1% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $111,100 in Portland, ME to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,658 a month in Portland, ME versus $1,109 in Des Moines, IA. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Portland, ME and 18% in Des Moines, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,506 a year higher in Portland, ME than in Des Moines, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.3% moving from Des Moines, IA to Portland, ME ($107,301 → $120,548), while prices change by +11.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.1% in real buying power.
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (much cheaper)
- Portland, ME: price level 101.9 (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 | Portland, ME | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.7 | 101.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,076 in Portland | $90,028 in Des Moines |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,109/mo | $1,658/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $73,526 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $5,654 (ME) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 27% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,820 | $56,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area and Portland, ME HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and Portland-South Portland, ME.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Des Moines | Portland |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.7 | 105.2 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 97.2 |
| Utilities | 84.6 | 134.6 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 103.2 |
| Overall | 91.7 | 101.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Des Moines, IA → Portland, ME
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.0%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$2,506/yr.
34 Weak offer
Portland, ME → Des Moines, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$2,506/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Des Moines, IA is in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA pay area; Portland, ME is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Des Moines, IA to Portland, ME at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Des Moines, IA | Portland, ME | Real change, Des Moines → Portland |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,223 | $69,905 | +1.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,284 | $84,579 | +1.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,234 | $101,375 | +1.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,301 | $120,548 | +1.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,797 | $142,452 | +1.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Des Moines, IA | Portland, ME | Portland pay in Des Moines dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $76,770 | $69,115 (+12.1%) |
| Software Developers | $126,460 | $128,710 | $115,875 (−8.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,290 | $79,790 | $71,834 (−9.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,630 | $88,470 | $79,648 (+1.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.