Moving from St. Louis to Des Moines
Moving from St. Louis to Des Moines
You'd keep $241 more a month in Des Moines. +$2,892 a year.
Who already made this move
In 2022-2023, 30 households moved St. Louis → Des Moines (about 43 people, average AGI $91,567). 49 households went the other way.
Source: IRS SOI county-to-county migration. Not a moving company; not a recommendation.
| Per month | St. Louis | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Take-home | $5,679 | $5,740 |
| Rent | $1,144 | $1,005 |
| All other costs | $1,879 | $1,838 |
| Left over | $2,656 | $2,897 |
Full line-by-line comparison →
What the move itself costs
About 320 road miles, 1 bedroom. Typical ranges, not quotes.
- Full-service mover
- $1,900–$3,550
- Container or pod
- $1,300–$2,400
- Rent a truck
- $550–$1,000
Dig into Des Moines
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 Des Moines than St. Louis?
A one-bedroom is about $1,144 in St. Louis versus $1,005 in Des Moines. On a one-adult, one-bedroom household, leftover is about $241 a month higher in Des Moines. Change the job or household on the comparison to see your number.
Does Des Moines have state income tax?
Des Moines is in Iowa, which taxes wage income.
Did people actually move from St. Louis to Des Moines?
When IRS county-to-county data covers this pair, the page lists how many households made the St. Louis → Des Moines move and their average AGI. Leftover after tax and rent is shown for the same household on both sides.