City comparison
Des Moines, IA vs Winston, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Des Moines, IA (91.7) and Winston, NC (92.0, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Des Moines, IA goes as far as $100,400 in Winston, NC.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,109 a month in Des Moines, IA and $1,082 in Winston, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $333 a year higher in Winston, NC 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 Winston, NC ($107,301 → $106,437), while prices change by +0.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.2% in real buying power.
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (much cheaper)
- Winston, NC: price level 92.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Des Moines, IA | Winston, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.7 | 92.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,373 in Winston | $99,628 in Des Moines |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,109/mo | $1,082/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% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,820 | $46,380 |
| 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 Winston-Salem, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and Winston-Salem, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Des Moines | Winston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.7 | 71.4 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 84.6 | 88.4 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 91.7 | 92.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Des Moines, IA → Winston, NC
Roughly even
Buying power −0.4%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$333/yr.
68 Fair offer
Winston, NC → Des Moines, IA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$333/yr.
70 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Des Moines, IA is in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA pay area; Winston, NC is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Des Moines, IA to Winston, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Des Moines, IA | Winston, NC | Real change, Des Moines → Winston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,223 | $61,722 | −1.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,284 | $74,678 | −1.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,234 | $89,508 | −1.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,301 | $106,437 | −1.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,797 | $125,776 | −1.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Des Moines, IA | Winston, NC | Winston pay in Des Moines dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $123,740 | $129,980 | $129,497 (+4.7%) |
| Software Developers | $126,460 | $124,130 | $123,669 (−2.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,290 | $78,950 | $78,657 (−0.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,630 | $86,120 | $85,800 (+9.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.