What salary do you need to live in Des Moines, IA?
For a single person: about $64,500/year before taxes to live comfortably. That's the gross income whose IA-taxed take-home covers roughly $1,318 rent plus everyday essentials, with a 20% cushion for savings. Figures include 2025 federal tax, FICA, and an effective 3.0% Iowa income tax.
What jobs here actually pay: the typical Des Moines worker earns about $51,820/year (BLS OEWS, all occupations) — below the $53,000 a single person needs to cover local essentials, so a median local job alone runs 2% short.
Single person — est. essentials $3,608/mo
Tight
take-home covers $3,608/mo
$53,000/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $4,330/mo
$64,500/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $5,412/mo
$84,000/yr
2-person household — est. essentials $4,855/mo
Tight
take-home covers $4,855/mo
$69,000/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $5,826/mo
$84,500/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $7,283/mo
$107,000/yr
3-person household — est. essentials $6,039/mo
Tight
take-home covers $6,039/mo
$87,500/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $7,247/mo
$106,500/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $9,059/mo
$136,000/yr
4-person household — est. essentials $6,746/mo
Tight
take-home covers $6,746/mo
$98,500/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $8,095/mo
$120,000/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $10,119/mo
$155,000/yr
How we calculate this
Essentials = typical rent ($1,318) + a national non-housing baseline by household size ($2,450 for one person) + Iowa's combined sales tax on the taxable share of that spending. We then solve for the gross salary whose after-tax take-home hits each tier, including municipal income tax where the city levies one. These assume adults sharing a home. A household with young children also pays childcare, which in most cities is the largest line after rent — run a search with your own household to price it. Property taxes aren't modeled — see the methodology.
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