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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Career-launching requires a city that pays well and has employer depth. We analyzed 2 cities in Iowa. Des Moines: index 67, income $63,966, transport index 92.
#1 Ranked: Des Moines — cost index 67, rent $1,141/mo, income $63,966
Young-professional scoring: income $63,966, population 210,381 (job market depth), transport index 92
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
Career-launching requires a city that pays well and has employer depth. We analyzed 2 cities in Iowa. Des Moines: index 67, income $63,966, transport index 92.
Des Moines earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 67 cost index sits 44 points below the national baseline, and the $63,966 median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $204,843 — $262,527 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Housing leads the way at 67, while Healthcare trails at 93.
For all that, there's a counter-signal worth noting: Across Iowa, the average cost of living index is 68 — 43 points below the national median. Known for Midwest stability with bargain-level costs, the state offers 2 tracked cities with median rents averaging $1,150/month. That's $745 less than the national average of $1,895. For families with student loans, that cost gap is a second income.
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. The difference between #1 and #5 is often smaller than the difference between "good on paper" and "actually fits my life." Compare your top picks with our calculator to see real take-home numbers.
| Rank | City | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Des Moines | 67 | $1,141 | Details |
| 2 | Cedar Rapids | 68 | $1,158 | Details |
210,381 residents · Iowa
Des Moines earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 67 cost index sits 44 points below the national baseline, and the $63,966 median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $204,843 — $262,527 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Housing leads the way at 67, while Healthcare trails at 93.
135,958 residents · Iowa
Here's Cedar Rapids by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 68. Rent: $1,158/month. Income: $67,859/year. Home price: $204,214. Population: 135,958. The strongest category is Housing at 68; the most expensive is Healthcare at 94. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $8,844 per year vs. the national median. The data here speaks for itself.
Our persona scoring model weights cost, income, rent, healthcare, taxes, and city size based on what matters most to young professionals. Each factor scores 10-25 points out of a 100-point composite. The guide ranks every tracked city in Iowa by this personalized metric. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
Des Moines ranks #1 in Iowa for this analysis with a cost index of 67 and median income of $63,966.
Des Moines scores highest for young professionals due to its below-average cost of living, median rent of $1,141/mo, and competitive median income of $63,966.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
Des Moines (ranked #1) has a cost index of 67 and rent of $1,141/mo, while Cedar Rapids (ranked #2) has a cost index of 68 and rent of $1,158/mo — a 1-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Des Moines is $1,141/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $754 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Des Moines is $204,843, which is 3.2× the local median income. That's within the standard 3.5× affordability rule for most local earners. The national median home price is $467,370.
Iowa has a 5.7% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 6.94%, and the effective property tax rate is 1.43%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.