City comparison
Des Moines, IA vs Tulsa, OK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Des Moines, IA are 2.8% higher than in Tulsa, OK. Someone earning $100,000 in Tulsa, OK would need about $102,800 in Des Moines, IA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,109 a month in Des Moines, IA versus $987 in Tulsa, OK. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Des Moines, IA and 16% in Tulsa, OK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $806 a year higher in Tulsa, OK than in Des Moines, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.8% moving from Des Moines, IA to Tulsa, OK ($107,301 → $106,437), while prices change by −2.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.0% in real buying power.
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (much cheaper)
- Tulsa, OK: price level 89.2 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Des Moines, IA | Tulsa, OK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.7 | 89.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,288 in Tulsa | $102,788 in Des Moines |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,109/mo | $987/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $75,226 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $3,955 (OK) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,820 | $46,670 |
| 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 Tulsa, OK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and Tulsa, OK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Des Moines | Tulsa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.7 | 68.2 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 84.6 | 73.9 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 95.5 |
| Overall | 91.7 | 89.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Des Moines, IA → Tulsa, OK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.8%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$806/yr.
77 Strong offer
Tulsa, OK → Des Moines, IA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$806/yr.
60 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Des Moines, IA is in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA pay area; Tulsa, OK is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Des Moines, IA to Tulsa, OK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Des Moines, IA | Tulsa, OK | Real change, Des Moines → Tulsa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,223 | $61,722 | +2.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,284 | $74,678 | +2.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,234 | $89,508 | +2.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,301 | $106,437 | +2.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,797 | $125,776 | +2.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Des Moines, IA | Tulsa, OK | Tulsa pay in Des Moines dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $48,220 | $49,564 (−19.6%) |
| Software Developers | $126,460 | $108,730 | $111,761 (−11.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,290 | $81,320 | $83,587 (+5.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,630 | $84,790 | $87,154 (+10.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.