Moving to Washington from Iowa
What to Expect
Considering a move from Iowa to Washington? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Iowa to Washington, you would find that Washington is 34.3% more expensive than Iowa. A $75,000 salary in Iowa would need to be roughly $101,000 in Washington to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Iowa and Washington.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $101,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Washington
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 18.8% more
Groceries
pay 19.2% more
Transportation
pay 38.8% more
Housing
pay 58.4% more
Childcare
pay 59.7% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 8.2% 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 Washington cost about 20% more than cities in Iowa.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Washington compared to Iowa.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Iowa performs better than Washington 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
Washington generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iowa leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Iowa performs better than Washington 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 Washington 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
Washington generally does better on employment & economy, though Iowa leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Washington performs significantly better than Iowa across all family life metrics.
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 | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) | 50°/34°F (10°/1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) | 65°/43°F (18°/6°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) | 76°/49°F (24°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) | 51°/36°F (11°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Des Moines | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) | 46°/34°F (7.7°/0.9°C) |
| Feb | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) | 49°/33°F (9.6°/0.4°C) |
| Mar | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) | 54°/35°F (12.2°/1.7°C) |
| Apr | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) | 59°/38°F (14.9°/3.2°C) |
| May | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) | 65°/43°F (18.5°/6.2°C) |
| Jun | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) | 71°/48°F (21.4°/8.7°C) |
| Jul | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) | 77°/51°F (24.9°/10.4°C) |
| Aug | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) | 78°/51°F (25.4°/10.3°C) |
| Sep | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) | 72°/46°F (22.1°/7.8°C) |
| Oct | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) | 60°/40°F (15.7°/4.7°C) |
| Nov | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) | 50°/36°F (10.1°/2.4°C) |
| Dec | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°C) | 44°/33°F (6.8°/0.3°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Washington than Iowa?
On average Washington is around 34% pricier than Iowa, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Washington?
Budget about $25,250 for 3 months in Washington (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Washington safe?
Iowa performs better than Washington across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Washington compared to Iowa?
Washington generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iowa leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Washington compared to Iowa?
The average high temperature in Olympia is 60°F, compared to 60°F in Des Moines. Olympia receives around 50.0 in of rainfall per year, while Des Moines gets 36.0 in.
