Moving to Iowa from Oklahoma
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Oklahoma to Iowa — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Oklahoma to Iowa, you would find that Iowa is 4.3% cheaper than Oklahoma. A $75,000 salary in Oklahoma would need to be roughly $72,580 in Iowa to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Des Moines averages 60°F vs 71°F in Oklahoma City, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Oklahoma to Iowa.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $72,580
To maintain the same standard of living in Iowa
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 1.8% more
Groceries
pay 4.2% less
Transportation
pay 16.1% less
Housing
pay 7.0% less
Childcare
pay 16.1% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 17.1% 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 Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma 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 performs significantly better than Oklahoma 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 generally does better on what about housing?, though Oklahoma leads in median home value.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Iowa performs significantly better than Oklahoma 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 performs significantly better than Oklahoma 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
Iowa performs significantly better than Oklahoma 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 | Oklahoma City | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 55°/33°F (13°/0°C) | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 80°/58°F (26°/14°C) | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/69°F (32°/20°C) | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 60°/39°F (16°/4°C) | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Oklahoma City | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49°/28°F (9.3°/-2.5°C) | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) |
| Feb | 53°/31°F (11.9°/-0.6°C) | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) |
| Mar | 62°/39°F (16.6°/4.0°C) | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) |
| Apr | 71°/48°F (21.5°/9.1°C) | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) |
| May | 80°/58°F (26.4°/14.7°C) | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) |
| Jun | 88°/67°F (30.9°/19.4°C) | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) |
| Jul | 93°/72°F (34.0°/22.2°C) | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) |
| Aug | 92°/71°F (33.6°/21.5°C) | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) |
| Sep | 84°/63°F (28.7°/17.1°C) | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) |
| Oct | 72°/50°F (22.4°/10.1°C) | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) |
| Nov | 60°/39°F (15.6°/3.9°C) | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) |
| Dec | 49°/29°F (9.7°/-1.6°C) | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Iowa than Oklahoma?
Generally yes: Iowa runs about 3% cheaper than Oklahoma 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 $18,145 in Iowa for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Iowa safe?
Iowa performs significantly better than Oklahoma across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Iowa compared to Oklahoma?
Iowa performs significantly better than Oklahoma across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Iowa compared to Oklahoma?
The average high temperature in Des Moines is 60°F, compared to 71°F in Oklahoma City. Des Moines receives around 36.0 in of rainfall per year, while Oklahoma City gets 32.4 in.
