Moving to Iowa from Missouri
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Missouri to Iowa — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Missouri to Iowa, you would find that Iowa is 8.3% cheaper than Missouri. A $75,000 salary in Missouri would need to be roughly $68,800 in Iowa to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Missouri to Iowa.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $68,800
To maintain the same standard of living in Iowa
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 4.0% less
Groceries
pay 9.4% less
Transportation
pay 26.4% less
Housing
pay 8.5% less
Childcare
pay 5.4% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 16.8% 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.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Missouri and Iowa stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Iowa performs significantly better than Missouri 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
Iowa generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Missouri leads in adult obesity rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Iowa performs significantly better than Missouri across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Missouri 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
Iowa generally does better on employment & economy, though Missouri leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Missouri generally does better on family life, though Iowa leads in life expectancy.
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 | Kansas City | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C) | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 76°/57°F (24°/14°C) | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/67°F (30°/20°C) | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 55°/37°F (13°/3°C) | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Kansas City | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40°/22°F (4.2°/-5.3°C) | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) |
| Feb | 45°/26°F (7.0°/-3.2°C) | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) |
| Mar | 56°/36°F (13.4°/2.1°C) | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) |
| Apr | 67°/47°F (19.3°/8.1°C) | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) |
| May | 76°/57°F (24.4°/13.9°C) | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) |
| Jun | 85°/67°F (29.4°/19.3°C) | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) |
| Jul | 90°/72°F (32.3°/22.2°C) | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) |
| Aug | 89°/70°F (31.4°/21.2°C) | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) |
| Sep | 80°/60°F (26.7°/15.8°C) | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) |
| Oct | 68°/49°F (19.9°/9.4°C) | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) |
| Nov | 54°/37°F (12.3°/2.6°C) | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) |
| Dec | 42°/26°F (5.4°/-3.6°C) | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Iowa than Missouri?
Generally yes: Iowa runs about 8% cheaper than Missouri on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Iowa?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $17,200 in Iowa for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Iowa safe?
Iowa performs significantly better than Missouri across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Iowa compared to Missouri?
Iowa generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Missouri leads in adult obesity rate.
What's the weather like in Iowa compared to Missouri?
The average high temperature in Des Moines is 60°F, compared to 66°F in Kansas City. Des Moines receives around 36.0 in of rainfall per year, while Kansas City gets 39.1 in.
