Moving to Alabama from Iowa
What to Expect
Considering a move from Iowa to Alabama? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Iowa to Alabama, you would find that Alabama is 2.5% cheaper than Iowa. A $75,000 salary in Iowa would need to be roughly $73,625 in Alabama to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Montgomery averages 76°F vs 60°F in Des Moines, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Iowa and Alabama.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $73,625
To maintain the same standard of living in Alabama
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 2.6% less
Groceries
pay 9.2% more
Transportation
pay 9.7% more
Housing
pay 0.4% more
Childcare
pay 10.1% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 11.9% 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
The numbers behind daily life in Alabama compared to Iowa.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Iowa performs better than Alabama 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
Iowa performs better than Alabama 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 generally does better on what about housing?, though Alabama leads in median home value.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Iowa performs better than Alabama across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Iowa generally does better on employment & economy, though Alabama leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Iowa performs better than Alabama 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 | Des Moines | Montgomery |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) | 63°/40°F (17°/4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) | 84°/60°F (29°/16°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) | 90°/69°F (32°/21°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) | 69°/45°F (21°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Des Moines | Montgomery |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) | 57°/36°F (14.1°/2.1°C) |
| Feb | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) | 62°/39°F (16.6°/4.0°C) |
| Mar | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) | 70°/45°F (20.9°/7.4°C) |
| Apr | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) | 77°/52°F (24.8°/10.9°C) |
| May | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) | 84°/61°F (28.9°/15.9°C) |
| Jun | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) | 90°/68°F (32.1°/20.1°C) |
| Jul | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) | 92°/71°F (33.4°/21.9°C) |
| Aug | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) | 92°/71°F (33.3°/21.7°C) |
| Sep | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) | 87°/65°F (30.7°/18.4°C) |
| Oct | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) | 78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C) |
| Nov | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) | 69°/44°F (20.6°/6.6°C) |
| Dec | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°C) | 60°/37°F (15.3°/3.0°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Alabama than Iowa?
Alabama and Iowa are within a few percent on overall cost, though specific items in specific cities can swing either way.
How much money do I need to move to Alabama?
Budget about $18,406 for 3 months in Alabama (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Alabama safe?
Iowa performs better than Alabama across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Alabama compared to Iowa?
Iowa performs better than Alabama across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Alabama compared to Iowa?
The average high temperature in Montgomery is 76°F, compared to 60°F in Des Moines. Montgomery receives around 53.1 in of rainfall per year, while Des Moines gets 36.0 in.
