Moving to Iowa from Mississippi
What to Expect
Considering a move from Mississippi to Iowa? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Mississippi to Iowa, you would find that Iowa is 0.6% more expensive than Mississippi. A $75,000 salary in Mississippi would need to be roughly $75,500 in Iowa to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Des Moines averages 60°F vs 76°F in Jackson, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Mississippi and Iowa.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $75,500
To maintain the same standard of living in Iowa
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 5.3% more
Groceries
pay 3.1% more
Transportation
pay 19.3% less
Housing
pay 1.2% more
Childcare
pay 20.3% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 28.6% 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 Iowa cost about 1% more than cities in Mississippi.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Iowa compared to Mississippi.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Mississippi generally does better on safety, though Iowa leads in property 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 performs significantly better than Mississippi across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Mississippi 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 significantly better than Mississippi 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 generally does better on employment & economy, though Mississippi leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Iowa performs significantly better than Mississippi 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 | Jackson | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 62°/41°F (17°/5°C) | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 83°/62°F (28°/17°C) | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/70°F (32°/21°C) | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 67°/46°F (20°/8°C) | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Jackson | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56°/37°F (13.6°/2.7°C) | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) |
| Feb | 61°/40°F (16.1°/4.6°C) | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) |
| Mar | 68°/47°F (20.2°/8.2°C) | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) |
| Apr | 76°/54°F (24.4°/12.1°C) | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) |
| May | 83°/63°F (28.3°/17.1°C) | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) |
| Jun | 89°/69°F (31.8°/20.8°C) | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) |
| Jul | 92°/72°F (33.1°/22.4°C) | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) |
| Aug | 92°/72°F (33.1°/22.2°C) | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) |
| Sep | 87°/66°F (30.3°/18.9°C) | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) |
| Oct | 77°/55°F (25.1°/12.8°C) | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) |
| Nov | 67°/45°F (19.7°/7.3°C) | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) |
| Dec | 58°/39°F (14.7°/3.9°C) | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Iowa than Mississippi?
Iowa and Mississippi are within a few percent on overall cost, though specific items in specific cities can swing either way.
How much money do I need to move to Iowa?
Budget about $18,875 for 3 months in Iowa (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Iowa safe?
Mississippi generally does better on safety, though Iowa leads in property crime rate.
How is healthcare in Iowa compared to Mississippi?
Iowa performs significantly better than Mississippi across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Iowa compared to Mississippi?
The average high temperature in Des Moines is 60°F, compared to 76°F in Jackson. Des Moines receives around 36.0 in of rainfall per year, while Jackson gets 54.3 in.
