Cost comparison
Compare rent, housing, utilities, groceries, salary needs, and move score across the city profiles currently available in LifeAtlas.
Iowa
Ames is a college-town and research market in Iowa, useful for starter comparisons around rent, housing, utilities, wages, benefits, insurance, and moving costs.
Iowa
Des Moines is the state-capital insurance and job market in Iowa, promoted in source-ready batch 03 for comparisons around housing, wages, utilities, taxes, benefits, and moving costs.
Comparison
Ames has the lower salary-needed estimate, while Ames has the lower starter rent. Differences are shown as Des Moines minus Ames.
| Metric | Ames | Des Moines | Difference | Advantage | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $924 | $1,218 | +$294 | Ames | Ames has the lower median rent. |
| Home price | $197,800 | $271,400 | +$73,600 | Ames | Ames has the lower home price. |
| Utilities | $174/mo | $162/mo | -$12/mo | Des Moines | Des Moines has the lower utilities. |
| Groceries index | 97 | 94 | -3 | Des Moines | Des Moines has the lower groceries index. |
| Salary needed | $46,800 | $59,280 | +$12,480 | Ames | Ames has the lower salary needed. |
| Move score | 84/100 | 83/100 | -1 | Ames | Ames has the higher move score. |