City comparison
Des Moines, IA vs Worcester, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Worcester, MA are 11.8% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $111,800 in Worcester, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,599 a month in Worcester, MA versus $1,109 in Des Moines, IA. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Worcester, MA and 18% in Des Moines, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,632 a year higher in Worcester, MA 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 Worcester, MA ($107,301 → $120,548), while prices change by +11.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.5% in real buying power.
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (much cheaper)
- Worcester, MA: price level 102.5 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Des Moines, IA | Worcester, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.7 | 102.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,801 in Worcester | $89,444 in Des Moines |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,109/mo | $1,599/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,820 | $57,830 |
| 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 Worcester, MA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and Worcester, MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Des Moines | Worcester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.7 | 113.0 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 97.0 |
| Utilities | 84.6 | 155.2 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 101.2 |
| Overall | 91.7 | 102.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Des Moines, IA → Worcester, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.6%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$1,632/yr.
36 Weak offer
Worcester, MA → Des Moines, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,632/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Des Moines, IA is in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA pay area; Worcester, MA is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Des Moines, IA to Worcester, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Des Moines, IA | Worcester, MA | Real change, Des Moines → Worcester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,223 | $69,905 | +0.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,284 | $84,579 | +0.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,234 | $101,375 | +0.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,301 | $120,548 | +0.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,797 | $142,452 | +0.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Des Moines, IA | Worcester, MA | Worcester pay in Des Moines dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $123,740 | $128,630 | $115,052 (−7.0%) |
| Software Developers | $126,460 | $146,950 | $131,438 (+3.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,290 | $94,070 | $84,140 (+6.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,630 | $100,240 | $89,659 (+14.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.