USLivingCost Salaries · Rent · Cost of Living

Des Moines, IA vs. Kansas City, MO

Median rent is $1,054 a month in Des Moines, IA and $1,186 in Kansas City, MO. Household income is $63,966 against $67,449. Both cities are read from the same ACS 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates and the same BEA Regional Price Parities 2023, so the two columns below are directly comparable.

$
Same standard of living
A salary of $100,000 in Des Moines, IA buys what $100,655 buys in Kansas City, MO
+$655 more to keep the same standard of living
Median gross rent Monthly
$1,054 $1,186 +12.5%
Median household income Annual
$63,966 $67,449 +5.4%
Median home value Owner-occupied
$183,700 $227,000 +23.6%
Rent as share of income Annual rent ÷ income
19.8% 21.1% 1.3 pp
Price level U.S. average = 100
92.7 93.3 +0.6%
Salary needed for median rent Keeps rent at 30% of gross
$42,200 $47,400 +12.3%
Rent median income carries at 30% Affordable rent
$1,599 $1,686 +5.4%
Population City proper
212,464 508,233 +139.2%
Equivalent salary For $100,000 in Des Moines
$100,000 $100,655 +0.7%

A green or red badge means the second city is higher or lower, not better or worse: a lower rent is good for a tenant, a lower household income is not. For the price level and
the share of income the raw values are shown, because a percentage difference between two
percentages is easy to misread.

What the gap means

Lower rent
$1,054
Des Moines, IA · 12.5% below Kansas City, MO
Higher household income
$67,449
Kansas City, MO · 5.4% above Des Moines, IA
Same standard of living
$100,655
$100,000 in Des Moines, IA needs $100,655 in Kansas City, MO
Price level gap
0.6 points
92.7 in IA against 93.3 in MO
Rent burden gap
1.3 points
Des Moines, IA versus Kansas City, MO, share of income taken by rent
Highest buying power
107.9%
Des Moines, IA · share of the national average income that a dollar there buys

Occupation wages in both metros

May 2025 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Metropolitan areas may differ from city boundaries.

Occupation Des Moines, IA median Kansas City, MO median vs.
General and Operations Managers $98,780 $90,490 -8.4%
Registered Nurses $78,630 $83,040 +5.6%
Retail Salespersons $33,430 $34,320 +2.7%
Customer Service Representatives $48,880 $44,350 -9.3%
Fast Food and Counter Workers $29,140 $29,560 +1.4%
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $60,720 $60,170 -0.9%
Waiters and Waitresses $20,410 $36,080 +76.8%
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners $35,000 $36,350 +3.9%

Metropolitan areas and cover every industry together, so the two columns may describe wider areas than the city limits used for rent and income.

More comparisons with Des Moines, IA

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Definitions used on this page

Salary needed for the median rent
Twelve months of median gross rent divided by 0.30: the income that keeps the median rent at 30% of gross pay.
Price level
BEA regional price parity for the metro area where one is published, otherwise for the state. The national average is 100.
Same standard of living
A salary in Des Moines, IA converted into Kansas City, MO at the ratio of the two price levels. It adjusts for prices only, not for taxes or for what either city offers.
Buying power
One hundred divided by the price level: what a dollar buys locally relative to the national average.

Sources

Margins of error are published for every Census figure. Read the methodology before reading a small gap between two cities as a real difference.

Full detail for each city: Des Moines, IA · Kansas City, MO