Moving from Des Moines to Sacramento
Moving to Sacramento costs you $764 a month
−$9,168 a year for the same registered nurse, the same household size, and the same number of bedrooms.
Des Moines leftover
$2,893
a month after tax and rent
Sacramento leftover
$2,129
−$764 vs Des Moines
| Per month | Des Moines | Sacramento | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,500 | $8,047 | +$547 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,764 | $2,104 | +$341 |
| Take-home pay | $5,736 | $5,943 | +$206 |
| Rent | $1,005 | $1,677 | +$672 |
| Getting around | $533 | $600 | +$67 |
| Groceries | $360 | $424 | +$64 |
| Healthcare | $405 | $477 | +$72 |
| Utilities | $225 | $265 | +$40 |
| Everything else | $315 | $371 | +$56 |
| Left over | $2,893 | $2,129 | −$764 |
To break even in Sacramento, you'd need to earn
$111,500
Household gross, versus $90,000 today. That's the salary that leaves you exactly as much at the end of the month as Des Moines does now.
The tax difference alone
−$2,142
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 23.5% in Des Moines, 26.2% in Sacramento.
More about Sacramento
Des Moines, IA in full
Insurance-sector wages against the lowest housing costs on this list.
Sacramento, CA in full
Bay Area access at two-thirds the rent, with California's tax bill intact.
The reverse move
Same two cities, but starting from Sacramento on Sacramento wages.
Sacramento → Des Moines →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Sacramento than Des Moines?
A one-bedroom is about $1,005 in Des Moines versus $1,677 in Sacramento. On a one-adult, one-bedroom household, leftover is about $764 a month lower in Sacramento. Change the job or household on the comparison to see your number.
Does Sacramento have state income tax?
Sacramento is in California, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Des Moines to Sacramento?
Take-home pay is recalculated under California tax, rent is priced at the same bedroom count, and leftover is the gap. The from-to page also lists IRS households that already made the move, when that data exists.
Rent is Zillow's asking rent for each metro; taxes and living costs are modelled. An estimate, not a quote or tax advice. How this is calculated.