Moving to Iowa from Nebraska
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Nebraska to Iowa — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Nebraska to Iowa, you would find that Iowa is 4.1% cheaper than Nebraska. A $75,000 salary in Nebraska would need to be roughly $68,806 in Iowa to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Nebraska to Iowa.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $68,806
To maintain the same standard of living in Iowa
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 5.0% less
Groceries
pay 7.6% less
Transportation
pay 11.6% less
Housing
pay 9.8% less
Childcare
pay 2.8% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 0.8% 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
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Nebraska to Iowa.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Nebraska 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
Nebraska 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 significantly better than Nebraska across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Nebraska performs 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
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
Nebraska performs better than Iowa across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Nebraska 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 | Lincoln | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 42°/20°F (6°/-7°C) | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 74°/50°F (23°/10°C) | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/61°F (29°/16°C) | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 51°/28°F (11°/-2°C) | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Lincoln | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/14°F (1.9°/-10.1°C) | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) |
| Feb | 40°/18°F (4.5°/-7.8°C) | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) |
| Mar | 52°/28°F (11.3°/-2.3°C) | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) |
| Apr | 64°/39°F (17.9°/3.8°C) | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) |
| May | 74°/51°F (23.4°/10.3°C) | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) |
| Jun | 84°/61°F (29.0°/16.1°C) | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) |
| Jul | 89°/66°F (31.7°/18.9°C) | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) |
| Aug | 87°/64°F (30.4°/17.7°C) | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) |
| Sep | 79°/53°F (25.9°/11.9°C) | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) |
| Oct | 66°/41°F (18.8°/4.8°C) | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) |
| Nov | 50°/28°F (10.2°/-2.4°C) | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) |
| Dec | 37°/16°F (2.9°/-8.7°C) | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Iowa than Nebraska?
Yes — Iowa is on average about 8% cheaper than Nebraska. 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 $17,202 in Iowa on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Iowa safe?
Nebraska generally does better on safety, though Iowa leads in property crime rate.
How is healthcare in Iowa compared to Nebraska?
Nebraska generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iowa leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Iowa compared to Nebraska?
The average high temperature in Des Moines is 60°F, compared to 63°F in Lincoln. Des Moines receives around 36.0 in of rainfall per year, while Lincoln gets 28.9 in.
