Moving to Iowa from Massachusetts
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Massachusetts to Iowa — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Massachusetts to Iowa, you would find that Iowa is 19.2% cheaper than Massachusetts. A $75,000 salary in Massachusetts would need to be roughly $53,903 in Iowa to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Massachusetts to Iowa.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $53,903
To maintain the same standard of living in Iowa
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 14.9% less
Groceries
pay 19.2% less
Transportation
pay 18.6% less
Housing
pay 31.9% less
Childcare
pay 35.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 13.2% 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 Iowa cost about 32% less than cities in Massachusetts.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Massachusetts to Iowa.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Massachusetts generally does better on safety, though Iowa 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
Massachusetts performs better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Iowa performs significantly better than Massachusetts across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Massachusetts generally does better on infrastructure, though Iowa leads in average commute.
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
Massachusetts 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
Massachusetts performs better than Iowa 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 | Boston | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 40°/26°F (4°/-3°C) | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 66°/50°F (19°/10°C) | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 78°/62°F (25°/17°C) | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 51°/38°F (11°/3°C) | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Boston | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.4°C) | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) |
| Feb | 39°/25°F (3.7°/-4.1°C) | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) |
| Mar | 45°/31°F (7.4°/-0.5°C) | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) |
| Apr | 56°/41°F (13.1°/4.8°C) | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) |
| May | 66°/50°F (18.9°/9.9°C) | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) |
| Jun | 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.3°C) | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) |
| Jul | 81°/65°F (27.4°/18.6°C) | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) |
| Aug | 80°/65°F (26.4°/18.1°C) | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) |
| Sep | 72°/57°F (22.4°/14.1°C) | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) |
| Oct | 61°/47°F (16.3°/8.1°C) | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) |
| Nov | 51°/38°F (10.8°/3.3°C) | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) |
| Dec | 41°/28°F (5.1°/-2.1°C) | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Iowa than Massachusetts?
Yes — Iowa is on average about 28% cheaper than Massachusetts. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Iowa?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $13,476 in Iowa on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Iowa safe?
Massachusetts generally does better on safety, though Iowa leads in violent crime rate.
How is healthcare in Iowa compared to Massachusetts?
Massachusetts performs better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Iowa compared to Massachusetts?
The average high temperature in Des Moines is 60°F, compared to 59°F in Boston. Des Moines receives around 36.0 in of rainfall per year, while Boston gets 43.8 in.
