Moving to Kentucky from Iowa
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Iowa to Kentucky — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Iowa to Kentucky, you would find that Kentucky is 0.1% cheaper than Iowa. A $75,000 salary in Iowa would need to be roughly $77,390 in Kentucky to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Iowa to Kentucky.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $77,390
To maintain the same standard of living in Kentucky
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 3.5% less
Groceries
pay 2.7% more
Transportation
pay 5.8% more
Housing
pay 5.3% more
Childcare
pay 10.1% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 13.3% 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
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Iowa to Kentucky.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Iowa generally does better on safety, though Kentucky leads in violent crime rate.
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 Kentucky leads in adult obesity rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Kentucky generally does better on what about housing?, though Iowa leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Iowa performs better than Kentucky 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 performs better than Kentucky 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 performs better than Kentucky 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 | Bowling Green |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) | 52°/31°F (11°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) | 78°/55°F (25°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) | 87°/64°F (30°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) | 59°/38°F (15°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Des Moines | Bowling Green |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.1°C) |
| Feb | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) | 50°/30°F (10.0°/-1.3°C) |
| Mar | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) | 60°/37°F (15.4°/2.8°C) |
| Apr | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) | 70°/46°F (20.9°/7.6°C) |
| May | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) | 78°/55°F (25.4°/12.8°C) |
| Jun | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) | 86°/64°F (30.1°/17.7°C) |
| Jul | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) | 89°/68°F (31.9°/19.9°C) |
| Aug | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) | 89°/66°F (31.6°/18.9°C) |
| Sep | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) | 82°/58°F (27.8°/14.4°C) |
| Oct | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) | 71°/46°F (21.8°/7.9°C) |
| Nov | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) | 59°/38°F (15.2°/3.1°C) |
| Dec | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°C) | 48°/29°F (8.8°/-1.6°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Kentucky than Iowa?
No — Kentucky is on average about 3% more expensive than Iowa. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Kentucky?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $19,348 in Kentucky on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Kentucky safe?
Iowa generally does better on safety, though Kentucky leads in violent crime rate.
How is healthcare in Kentucky compared to Iowa?
Iowa generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Kentucky leads in adult obesity rate.
What's the weather like in Kentucky compared to Iowa?
The average high temperature in Bowling Green is 69°F, compared to 60°F in Des Moines. Bowling Green receives around 49.9 in of rainfall per year, while Des Moines gets 36.0 in.
