Moving to United States from Iowa
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Iowa to United States — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Iowa to United States, you would find that United States is 17.2% more expensive than Iowa. A $75,000 salary in Iowa would need to be roughly $106,924 in United States to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Iowa to United States.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $106,924
To maintain the same standard of living in United States
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 10.6% more
Groceries
pay 19.0% more
Transportation
pay 28.8% more
Housing
pay 34.9% more
Childcare
pay 21.5% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 4.6% more
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 United States cost about 60% more than cities in Iowa.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Iowa to United States.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
United States performs significantly better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
United States performs significantly better than Iowa across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Iowa generally does better on employment & economy, though United States leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
United States performs significantly better than Iowa across all family life metrics.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 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 | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) | 48°/28°F (9°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) | 75°/51°F (24°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) | 85°/62°F (29°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) | 57°/35°F (14°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Des Moines | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) | 42°/24°F (5.8°/-4.5°C) |
| Feb | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) | 46°/26°F (8.0°/-3.3°C) |
| Mar | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) | 56°/33°F (13.1°/0.5°C) |
| Apr | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) | 67°/42°F (19.3°/5.6°C) |
| May | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) | 75°/51°F (23.9°/10.7°C) |
| Jun | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) | 84°/61°F (28.8°/16.1°C) |
| Jul | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.6°C) |
| Aug | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) | 87°/64°F (30.3°/17.9°C) |
| Sep | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) | 79°/56°F (26.3°/13.5°C) |
| Oct | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.6°C) |
| Nov | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) | 58°/35°F (14.2°/1.8°C) |
| Dec | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°C) | 46°/27°F (7.8°/-2.7°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in United States than Iowa?
No — United States is on average about 43% more expensive than Iowa. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to United States?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $26,731 in United States on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from United States?
Usually fine from major cities in United States. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
How is healthcare in United States compared to Iowa?
United States performs significantly better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in United States compared to Iowa?
The average high temperature in Washington is 66°F, compared to 60°F in Des Moines. Washington receives around 41.5 in of rainfall per year, while Des Moines gets 36.0 in.
What language do they speak in United States?
Both Iowa and United States share the same official language: English.
