USLivingCost Salaries · Rent · Cost of Living

Des Moines, IA vs. Moreno Valley, CA

Median rent is $1,054 a month in Des Moines, IA and $2,036 in Moreno Valley, CA. Household income is $63,966 against $87,477. 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 $121,500 buys in Moreno Valley, CA
+$21,500 more to keep the same standard of living
Median gross rent Monthly
$1,054 $2,036 +93.2%
Median household income Annual
$63,966 $87,477 +36.8%
Median home value Owner-occupied
$183,700 $461,400 +151.2%
Rent as share of income Annual rent ÷ income
19.8% 27.9% 8.1 pp
Price level U.S. average = 100
92.7 112.6 +21.5%
Salary needed for median rent Keeps rent at 30% of gross
$42,200 $81,400 +92.9%
Rent median income carries at 30% Affordable rent
$1,599 $2,187 +36.8%
Population City proper
212,464 210,378 -1.0%
Equivalent salary For $100,000 in Des Moines
$100,000 $121,500 +21.5%

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 · 93.2% below Moreno Valley, CA
Higher household income
$87,477
Moreno Valley, CA · 36.8% above Des Moines, IA
Same standard of living
$121,500
$100,000 in Des Moines, IA needs $121,500 in Moreno Valley, CA
Price level gap
19.9 points
92.7 in IA against 112.6 in CA
Rent burden gap
8.2 points
Des Moines, IA versus Moreno Valley, CA, 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

Des Moines, IA vs Moreno Valley, CA: frequently asked questions

Is Moreno Valley, CA more expensive than Des Moines, IA?

Yes. Prices in Moreno Valley, CA are about 21.5% higher than in Des Moines, IA: a regional price level of 112.6 against 92.7, where the U.S. average is 100.

How much do I need to earn in Moreno Valley, CA to keep a $100,000 lifestyle from Des Moines, IA?

About $121,500. Adjusting $100,000 by the BEA regional price levels of the two areas (92.7 in Des Moines, IA, 112.6 in Moreno Valley, CA) gives the salary with the same purchasing power. Taxes and personal spending habits are not included.

Is rent cheaper in Des Moines, IA or Moreno Valley, CA?

The median gross rent is $1,054 a month in Des Moines, IA and $2,036 in Moreno Valley, CA, a difference of $982 a month or $11,784 a year.

Where are household incomes higher, Des Moines, IA or Moreno Valley, CA?

The median household income is $63,966 in Des Moines, IA and $87,477 in Moreno Valley, CA. Rent takes 19.8% of the median income in Des Moines, IA and 27.9% in Moreno Valley, CA.

What salary do I need to afford the median rent in Moreno Valley, CA?

About $81,400 a year, the gross income that keeps the median rent of $2,036 a month at 30% of income. The same rule gives $42,200 in Des Moines, IA.

More comparisons with Des Moines, IA

More comparisons with Moreno Valley, CA

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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 Moreno Valley, CA 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 · Moreno Valley, CA