Moving from Des Moines to Houston
Moving from Des Moines to Houston
You'd keep $263 more a month in Houston. +$3,156 a year.
Who already made this move
In 2022-2023, 59 households moved Des Moines → Houston (about 99 people, average AGI $47,017). 59 households went the other way.
Source: IRS SOI county-to-county migration. Not a moving company; not a recommendation.
| Per month | Des Moines | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Take-home | $5,736 | $6,305 |
| Rent | $1,005 | $1,199 |
| All other costs | $1,838 | $1,950 |
| Left over | $2,893 | $3,156 |
Full line-by-line comparison →
What the move itself costs
About 982 road miles, 1 bedroom. Typical ranges, not quotes.
- Full-service mover
- $2,650–$4,950
- Container or pod
- $1,850–$3,500
- Rent a truck
- $1,000–$1,850
Dig into Houston
Paycheck
Take-home pay after tax and rent, and what's left at the end of the month.
Who moved
Which metros people actually left and arrived from, according to IRS tax returns.
Rent vs buy
Asking rent, the median home, property tax, and months to a down payment.
Monthly costs
Groceries, getting around, utilities, healthcare and childcare at your household size.
Daily life
Homicide and firearm death rates, heat, cars and commute.
Kids
Public-school enrollment, pupil–teacher ratio, bedrooms and childcare.
Getting there
What the move itself costs from where you live now, and how to find a mover you can trust.
Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Houston than Des Moines?
A one-bedroom is about $1,005 in Des Moines versus $1,199 in Houston. On a one-adult, one-bedroom household, leftover is about $263 a month higher in Houston. Change the job or household on the comparison to see your number.
Does Houston have state income tax?
Houston is in Texas, which has no state income tax.
Did people actually move from Des Moines to Houston?
When IRS county-to-county data covers this pair, the page lists how many households made the Des Moines → Houston move and their average AGI. Leftover after tax and rent is shown for the same household on both sides.