

College Station vs Des Moines
$676/mo more in Des Moines
College StationDes MoinesAbout 763 miles apart, a flight.
- Des Moines leaves you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
- Real winters
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,893/mo in Des Moines. $2,217/mo in College Station. +$8,112 a year.
College Station
$2,217
left each month
Des Moines
$2,893
+$676 vs College Station
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
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+$676 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | College Station | Des Moines | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $6,208 | $7,478 | +$1,270 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,142 | $1,756 | +$614 |
| Take-home pay | $5,066 | $5,722 | +$655 |
| Rent | $1,016 | $991 | −$25 |
| Getting around | $518 | $533 | +$15 |
| Groceries | $363 | $360 | −$3 |
| Healthcare | $408 | $405 | −$3 |
| Utilities | $227 | $225 | −$2 |
| Everything else | $317 | $315 | −$2 |
| Left over | $2,217 | $2,893 | +$676 |
Salary to match College Station
$77,500
Gross pay in Des Moines that leaves the same amount as $74,500 in College Station.
Tax difference
−$2,855
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 18.4% in College Station, 23.5% in Des Moines.
More about Des Moines
College Station, TX in full
No state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,209 and 222 sunny days; commutes average 20 minutes.
Des Moines, IA in full
Insurance-sector wages against the lowest housing costs on this list.
The other way
Start in Des Moines.
Des Moines → College Station →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Des Moines than College Station?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Des Moines leaves about $676 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,016 in College Station and $991 in Des Moines.
Does Des Moines have state income tax?
Des Moines is in Iowa, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from College Station to Des Moines?
The paycheck is taxed in Iowa. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.
Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between College Station and Des Moines changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.