Moving to Texas from Iowa
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Iowa to Texas — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Iowa to Texas, you would find that Texas is 9.2% more expensive than Iowa. A $75,000 salary in Iowa would need to be roughly $82,164 in Texas to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Austin averages 79°F vs 60°F in Des Moines, making it significantly warmer. What to expect for your wallet after moving from Iowa to Texas. What does your salary buy? $75,000 → $82,164 To maintain the same standard of living in Texas Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day Restaurants pay 8.1% more Groceries pay 4.9% more Transportation pay 23.8% more Housing pay 23.2% more Childcare pay 4.3% more Entertainment and Sports pay 4.3% 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. 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 Texas cost about 9% more than cities in Iowa. Compare cities head-to-head Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Iowa to Texas. incidents per 100,000 people per year incidents per 100,000 people per year Iowa performs better than Texas across all safety metrics. 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 Texas leads in adult obesity rate. typical price of a home typical monthly gross rent share of homes that are owner-occupied Iowa performs better than Texas across all what about housing? metrics. share of households with internet minutes each way to work Iowa generally does better on infrastructure, though Texas leads in internet access. 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 Texas leads in gdp per capita. average years of life at birth share of adults with a 4-year college degree Iowa performs better than Texas 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) Monthly averages — select a city to compare. Avg. annual high / low Avg. annual high / low Data: No — Texas is on average about 10% more expensive than Iowa. City-level variation matters. Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $20,541 in Texas on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit). Iowa performs better than Texas across all safety metrics. Iowa generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Texas leads in adult obesity rate. The average high temperature in Austin is 79°F, compared to 60°F in Des Moines. Austin receives around 36.2 in of rainfall per year, while Des Moines gets 36.0 in. How Far Will Your Money Go?
Cost of living by city
Key Indicator Comparison
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What's the Climate Like?
Months Des Moines Austin Jan–Mar 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) 65°/40°F (18°/5°C) Apr–Jun 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) 85°/63°F (29°/17°C) Jul–Sep 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) 93°/70°F (34°/21°C) Oct–Dec 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) 71°/47°F (22°/8°C) View all months
Month Des Moines Austin Jan 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) 61°/37°F (15.9°/2.9°C) Feb 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) 64°/39°F (17.6°/3.8°C) Mar 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) 71°/45°F (21.6°/7.4°C) Apr 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) 79°/55°F (25.9°/12.8°C) May 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) 85°/64°F (29.7°/17.7°C) Jun 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) 91°/70°F (32.8°/21.0°C) Jul 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) 94°/72°F (34.7°/22.3°C) Aug 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) 96°/72°F (35.4°/22.1°C) Sep 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) 90°/67°F (32.3°/19.2°C) Oct 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) 81°/57°F (27.3°/13.7°C) Nov 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) 71°/47°F (21.4°/8.4°C) Dec 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°C) 62°/38°F (16.5°/3.4°C) 
National Weather Service Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Texas than Iowa?
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Is Texas safe?
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What's the weather like in Texas compared to Iowa?
