Moving to Iowa from South Carolina
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from South Carolina to Iowa — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from South Carolina to Iowa, you would find that Iowa is 5.6% cheaper than South Carolina. A $75,000 salary in South Carolina would need to be roughly $63,590 in Iowa to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from South Carolina to Iowa.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $63,590
To maintain the same standard of living in Iowa
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 11.1% less
Groceries
pay 17.4% less
Transportation
pay 8.4% less
Housing
pay 19.3% less
Childcare
pay 7.9% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 20.4% 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 South Carolina 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 South Carolina 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
South Carolina 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 South Carolina across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Iowa performs significantly better than South Carolina 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 South Carolina 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
South Carolina generally does better on family life, though Iowa leads in life expectancy.
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 | Columbia | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C) | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 55°/36°F (13°/2°C) | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Columbia | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C) | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) |
| Feb | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C) | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) |
| Mar | 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C) | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) |
| Apr | 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C) | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) |
| May | 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) |
| Jun | 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C) | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) |
| Jul | 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C) | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) |
| Aug | 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C) | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) |
| Sep | 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C) | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) |
| Oct | 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C) | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) |
| Nov | 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C) | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) |
| Dec | 42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°C) | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Iowa than South Carolina?
Generally yes: Iowa runs about 15% cheaper than South Carolina 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 $15,898 in Iowa for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Iowa safe?
Iowa performs significantly better than South Carolina across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Iowa compared to South Carolina?
South Carolina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iowa leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Iowa compared to South Carolina?
The average high temperature in Des Moines is 60°F, compared to 66°F in Columbia. Des Moines receives around 36.0 in of rainfall per year, while Columbia gets 46.3 in.
