Cost comparison
Compare rent, housing, utilities, groceries, salary needs, and move score across the city profiles currently available in LifeAtlas.
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.
Iowa
Marshalltown is a supplemental starter city profile for the central Iowa affordability market in Iowa, useful for route coverage and starter comparisons around rent, housing, utilities, wages, benefits, insurance, and moving costs.
Comparison
Marshalltown has the lower salary-needed estimate, while Marshalltown has the lower starter rent. Differences are shown as Marshalltown minus Des Moines.
| Metric | Des Moines | Marshalltown | Difference | Advantage | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,218 | $1,068 | -$150 | Marshalltown | Marshalltown has the lower median rent. |
| Home price | $271,400 | $174,609 | -$96,791 | Marshalltown | Marshalltown has the lower home price. |
| Utilities | $162/mo | $193/mo | +$31/mo | Des Moines | Des Moines has the lower utilities. |
| Groceries index | 94 | 102 | +8 | Des Moines | Des Moines has the lower groceries index. |
| Salary needed | $59,280 | $39,335 | -$19,945 | Marshalltown | Marshalltown has the lower salary needed. |
| Move score | 83/100 | 85/100 | +2 | Marshalltown | Marshalltown has the higher move score. |