Moving to Arizona from Iowa
What to Expect
Considering a move from Iowa to Arizona? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Iowa to Arizona, you would find that Arizona is 21.1% more expensive than Iowa. A $75,000 salary in Iowa would need to be roughly $90,800 in Arizona to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Phoenix averages 87°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 Arizona.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $90,800
To maintain the same standard of living in Arizona
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 12.9% more
Groceries
pay 8.3% more
Transportation
pay 22.1% more
Housing
pay 47.3% more
Childcare
pay 2.4% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 5.7% 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.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Arizona cost about 10% more than cities in Iowa.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Arizona compared to Iowa.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Iowa performs better than Arizona 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 generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Arizona leads in adult obesity rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Iowa performs better than Arizona across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Iowa generally does better on infrastructure, though Arizona leads in internet access.
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 Arizona leads in median household income.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Iowa generally does better on family life, though Arizona leads in bachelor's degree or higher.
Sources: US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2023), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Des Moines | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) | 73°/49°F (23°/10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) | 95°/69°F (35°/20°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) | 103°/80°F (40°/27°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) | 77°/54°F (25°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Des Moines | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) | 69°/46°F (20.3°/7.6°C) |
| Feb | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) | 72°/49°F (22.1°/9.3°C) |
| Mar | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) | 78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C) |
| Apr | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) | 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.7°C) |
| May | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) | 95°/69°F (34.8°/20.6°C) |
| Jun | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) | 104°/77°F (39.9°/25.1°C) |
| Jul | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) | 106°/83°F (41.0°/28.1°C) |
| Aug | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) | 104°/82°F (40.1°/27.8°C) |
| Sep | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) | 100°/75°F (37.8°/24.1°C) |
| Oct | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) | 89°/64°F (31.8°/18.0°C) |
| Nov | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) | 76°/52°F (24.7°/11.1°C) |
| Dec | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°C) | 67°/45°F (19.6°/7.1°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Arizona than Iowa?
On average Arizona is around 21% pricier than Iowa, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Arizona?
Budget about $22,700 for 3 months in Arizona (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Arizona safe?
Iowa performs better than Arizona across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Arizona compared to Iowa?
Iowa generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Arizona leads in adult obesity rate.
What's the weather like in Arizona compared to Iowa?
The average high temperature in Phoenix is 87°F, compared to 60°F in Des Moines. Phoenix receives around 8.2 in of rainfall per year, while Des Moines gets 36.0 in.
