Moving to Florida from Iowa
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Iowa to Florida — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Iowa to Florida, you would find that Florida is 12.8% more expensive than Iowa. A $75,000 salary in Iowa would need to be roughly $93,183 in Florida to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Tallahassee averages 80°F vs 60°F in Des Moines, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Iowa to Florida.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $93,183
To maintain the same standard of living in Florida
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 15.2% more
Groceries
pay 19.4% more
Transportation
pay 20.9% more
Housing
pay 46.6% more
Childcare
pay 8.1% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 3.7% 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 Florida cost about 23% more than cities in Iowa.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Iowa to Florida.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Iowa performs better than Florida 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 Florida 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 Florida 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 Florida 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 performs better than Florida across all employment & economy metrics.
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 Florida 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 | Des Moines | Tallahassee |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) | 68°/43°F (20°/6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) | 86°/61°F (30°/16°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) | 91°/71°F (33°/22°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) | 73°/48°F (23°/9°C) |
View all months
| Month | Des Moines | Tallahassee |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) | 64°/39°F (17.5°/3.9°C) |
| Feb | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) | 67°/42°F (19.7°/5.5°C) |
| Mar | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) | 74°/47°F (23.2°/8.4°C) |
| Apr | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) | 80°/52°F (26.6°/11.3°C) |
| May | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) | 87°/62°F (30.6°/16.4°C) |
| Jun | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) | 91°/69°F (32.8°/20.8°C) |
| Jul | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) | 92°/72°F (33.4°/22.2°C) |
| Aug | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) | 92°/72°F (33.1°/22.3°C) |
| Sep | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) | 88°/68°F (31.3°/20.1°C) |
| Oct | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) | 81°/57°F (27.4°/14.1°C) |
| Nov | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) | 73°/47°F (22.8°/8.6°C) |
| Dec | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°C) | 65°/41°F (18.5°/5.1°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Florida than Iowa?
No — Florida is on average about 24% more expensive than Iowa. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Florida?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $23,296 in Florida on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Florida safe?
Iowa performs better than Florida across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Florida compared to Iowa?
Iowa generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Florida leads in adult obesity rate.
What's the weather like in Florida compared to Iowa?
The average high temperature in Tallahassee is 80°F, compared to 60°F in Des Moines. Tallahassee receives around 59.2 in of rainfall per year, while Des Moines gets 36.0 in.
