City comparison
Des Moines, IA vs Tallahassee, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tallahassee, FL are 2.4% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $102,400 in Tallahassee, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,204 a month in Tallahassee, FL versus $1,109 in Des Moines, IA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Tallahassee, FL and 18% in Des Moines, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,148 a year higher in Des Moines, IA than in Tallahassee, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.8% moving from Des Moines, IA to Tallahassee, FL ($107,301 → $106,437), while prices change by +2.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.1% in real buying power.
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (much cheaper)
- Tallahassee, FL: price level 93.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Des Moines, IA | Tallahassee, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.7 | 93.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,419 in Tallahassee | $97,638 in Des Moines |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,109/mo | $1,204/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,820 | $46,520 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area and Tallahassee, FL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and Tallahassee, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Des Moines | Tallahassee |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.7 | 78.5 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 84.6 | 87.5 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 91.7 | 93.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Des Moines, IA → Tallahassee, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,148/yr.
61 Fair offer
Tallahassee, FL → Des Moines, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,148/yr.
76 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Des Moines, IA is in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA pay area; Tallahassee, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Des Moines, IA to Tallahassee, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Des Moines, IA | Tallahassee, FL | Real change, Des Moines → Tallahassee |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,223 | $61,722 | −3.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,284 | $74,678 | −3.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,234 | $89,508 | −3.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,301 | $106,437 | −3.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,797 | $125,776 | −3.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Des Moines, IA | Tallahassee, FL | Tallahassee pay in Des Moines dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $55,020 | $53,721 (−12.9%) |
| Software Developers | $126,460 | $121,800 | $118,924 (−6.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,290 | $61,840 | $60,380 (−23.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,630 | $79,430 | $77,554 (−1.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.