Moving to Iowa from District of Columbia
What to Expect
Considering a move from District of Columbia to Iowa? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from District of Columbia to Iowa, you would find that Iowa is 41.0% cheaper than District of Columbia. A $75,000 salary in District of Columbia would need to be roughly $44,300 in Iowa to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between District of Columbia and Iowa.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $44,300
To maintain the same standard of living in Iowa
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 26.0% less
Groceries
pay 30.8% less
Transportation
pay 33.9% less
Housing
pay 53.5% less
Childcare
pay 60.4% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 34.1% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Iowa compared to District of Columbia.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Iowa performs significantly better than District of Columbia across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
District of Columbia performs better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Iowa performs significantly better than District of Columbia across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
District of Columbia generally does better on infrastructure, though Iowa leads in average commute.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
District of Columbia generally does better on employment & economy, though Iowa leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
District of Columbia performs better than Iowa across all family life metrics.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Washington | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 48°/28°F (9°/-2°C) | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 75°/51°F (24°/11°C) | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/62°F (29°/17°C) | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 57°/35°F (14°/2°C) | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Washington | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°/24°F (5.8°/-4.5°C) | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) |
| Feb | 46°/26°F (8.0°/-3.3°C) | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) |
| Mar | 56°/33°F (13.1°/0.5°C) | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) |
| Apr | 67°/42°F (19.3°/5.6°C) | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) |
| May | 75°/51°F (23.9°/10.7°C) | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) |
| Jun | 84°/61°F (28.8°/16.1°C) | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) |
| Jul | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.6°C) | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) |
| Aug | 87°/64°F (30.3°/17.9°C) | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) |
| Sep | 79°/56°F (26.3°/13.5°C) | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) |
| Oct | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.6°C) | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) |
| Nov | 58°/35°F (14.2°/1.8°C) | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) |
| Dec | 46°/27°F (7.8°/-2.7°C) | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Iowa than District of Columbia?
On average Iowa is about 41% less expensive than District of Columbia, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Iowa?
Budget about $11,075 for 3 months in Iowa (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Iowa safe?
Iowa performs significantly better than District of Columbia across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Iowa compared to District of Columbia?
District of Columbia performs better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Iowa compared to District of Columbia?
The average high temperature in Des Moines is 60°F, compared to 66°F in Washington. Des Moines receives around 36.0 in of rainfall per year, while Washington gets 41.5 in.
