Median rent is 11% lower in Cedar Rapids ($967/mo vs $1,090/mo). Buying is cheaper in Cedar Rapids, where the median home runs $187,100 versus $194,700. Households earn more in Cedar Rapids ($70,424 vs $65,932 a year).
City A
Cedar Rapids, IA
City B
Des Moines, IA
How much would you need to earn in Des Moines, IA to maintain your standard of living from Cedar Rapids, IA?
A cost-of-living index isn't available for one of these cities yet, so we can't compute an equivalent salary.
Based on BEA Regional Price Parity (cost index) for each metro area. This estimates overall purchasing power; it does not account for taxes or take-home pay differences.
Metric
Cedar Rapids
Iowa
Des Moines
Iowa
Population
Median Household Income
Annual
Median Gross Rent
Per month
Median Home Value
Cost of Living Index
US avg = 100
1BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
2BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
3BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
Air Quality Index
Lower = cleaner
Top State Income Tax
Top marginal rate
State Sales Tax
Statewide base rate
Median Age
Years
✓ = better value · Sources: Census ACS, BEA, HUD Fair Market Rents, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation
Median rent is modestly lower in Cedar Rapids at $967/mo compared to $1,090/mo in Des Moines (11% gap). Median home values are within 4% of each other: $187,100 in Cedar Rapids and $194,700 in Des Moines.
Metric
Cedar Rapids
Des Moines
Software Developer
Registered Nurse
Elementary Teacher
Electrician
Accountant
Higher wage highlighted · BLS OEWS 2023 (metro-level data)
State tax data is not yet available for these cities.
Cedar Rapids
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Des Moines
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Air quality data is available for Des Moines (avg AQI 21.0) but not yet for Cedar Rapids.
Pick Cedar Rapids if you prioritize higher median household income ($70,424/yr).
Pick Cedar Rapids if you prioritize cheaper rent ($967/mo median).
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
Median rent is $967/mo in Cedar Rapids, IA and $1,090/mo in Des Moines, IA. Cedar Rapids, IA has the lower rent by about 11%.
Median household income is $70,424 in Cedar Rapids, IA and $65,932 in Des Moines, IA. Cedar Rapids, IA has the higher median income. Note that BLS occupational wages in the table above show wages for specific jobs.
Air quality data is not yet available for one or both cities.
State tax data is not yet available for one or both cities.
RPP data needed for salary equivalence calculation is not yet available.
Data last updated: June 1, 2026 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology
