Moving to Iowa from Wisconsin
What to Expect
Considering a move from Wisconsin to Iowa? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Wisconsin to Iowa, you would find that Iowa is 5.0% cheaper than Wisconsin. A $75,000 salary in Wisconsin would need to be roughly $71,200 in Iowa to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Wisconsin and Iowa.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $71,200
To maintain the same standard of living in Iowa
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 3.1% more
Groceries
pay 0.5% less
Transportation
pay 9.8% less
Housing
pay 9.5% less
Childcare
pay 24.5% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 11.7% 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 3% less than cities in Wisconsin.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Iowa compared to Wisconsin.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Wisconsin generally does better on safety, though Iowa leads in violent 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
Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Wisconsin 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
Wisconsin generally does better on employment & economy, though Iowa leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Wisconsin performs better than Iowa 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 | Madison | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 33°/17°F (1°/-8°C) | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 68°/46°F (20°/8°C) | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 78°/57°F (25°/14°C) | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 44°/28°F (7°/-2°C) | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Madison | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26°/11°F (-3.1°/-11.6°C) | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) |
| Feb | 31°/15°F (-0.5°/-9.4°C) | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) |
| Mar | 43°/25°F (6.2°/-4.0°C) | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) |
| Apr | 57°/36°F (14.1°/2.1°C) | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) |
| May | 68°/46°F (20.2°/7.8°C) | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) |
| Jun | 78°/56°F (25.5°/13.4°C) | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) |
| Jul | 82°/61°F (27.6°/16.1°C) | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) |
| Aug | 79°/59°F (26.3°/15.0°C) | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) |
| Sep | 72°/50°F (22.1°/10.1°C) | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) |
| Oct | 59°/39°F (14.9°/3.8°C) | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) |
| Nov | 44°/28°F (6.7°/-2.1°C) | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) |
| Dec | 30°/16°F (-1.0°/-8.9°C) | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Iowa than Wisconsin?
On average Iowa is about 5% less expensive than Wisconsin, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Iowa?
Budget about $17,800 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?
Wisconsin generally does better on safety, though Iowa leads in violent crime rate.
How is healthcare in Iowa compared to Wisconsin?
Wisconsin generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iowa leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Iowa compared to Wisconsin?
The average high temperature in Des Moines is 60°F, compared to 56°F in Madison. Des Moines receives around 36.0 in of rainfall per year, while Madison gets 34.5 in.
