Moving to Iowa from Idaho
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Idaho to Iowa — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Idaho to Iowa, you would find that Iowa is 3.1% cheaper than Idaho. A $75,000 salary in Idaho would need to be roughly $67,928 in Iowa to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Idaho to Iowa.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $67,928
To maintain the same standard of living in Iowa
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 3.9% less
Groceries
pay 2.8% less
Transportation
pay 12.2% less
Housing
pay 8.6% less
Childcare
pay 0.3% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 0.9% 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
How Idaho and Iowa stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Idaho performs better than Iowa 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
Idaho generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iowa leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Iowa generally does better on what about housing?, though Idaho leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Idaho 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
Idaho 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
Idaho generally does better on family life, though Iowa leads in bachelor's degree or higher.
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 | Boise | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 46°/29°F (8°/-2°C) | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 87°/57°F (30°/14°C) | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 50°/32°F (10°/0°C) | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Boise | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38°/25°F (3.2°/-4.1°C) | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) |
| Feb | 45°/28°F (7.1°/-2.1°C) | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) |
| Mar | 55°/34°F (12.6°/1.3°C) | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) |
| Apr | 62°/39°F (16.8°/4.1°C) | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) |
| May | 72°/47°F (22.0°/8.1°C) | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) |
| Jun | 81°/54°F (27.4°/12.1°C) | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) |
| Jul | 91°/60°F (32.9°/15.8°C) | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) |
| Aug | 90°/60°F (32.1°/15.3°C) | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) |
| Sep | 79°/51°F (26.0°/10.6°C) | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) |
| Oct | 65°/41°F (18.2°/4.9°C) | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) |
| Nov | 48°/32°F (9.0°/-0.1°C) | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) |
| Dec | 38°/24°F (3.1°/-4.4°C) | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Iowa than Idaho?
Generally yes: Iowa runs about 9% cheaper than Idaho on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Iowa?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $16,982 in Iowa for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Iowa safe?
Idaho performs better than Iowa across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Iowa compared to Idaho?
Idaho generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iowa leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Iowa compared to Idaho?
The average high temperature in Des Moines is 60°F, compared to 64°F in Boise. Des Moines receives around 36.0 in of rainfall per year, while Boise gets 11.7 in.
