Cost of Living: Chattanooga, TN vs Des Moines, IA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,516/mo in Chattanooga, TN versus $4,184/mo in Des Moines, IA. In the model, rent is about 16.83% of gross in Chattanooga, TN versus 15.36% in Des Moines, IA, so Des Moines, IA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Chattanooga, TN
$4,516/mo
Income level: near
Take-home in Des Moines, IA
$4,184/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Chattanooga, TN
16.83%
COLI tier: lower-cost
Rent share (1BR) in Des Moines, IA
15.36%
COLI tier: lower-cost

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Chattanooga, TN and Des Moines, IA.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Des Moines, IA
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Des Moines, IA
  • Lower home prices: Des Moines, IA
  • Higher median household income: Des Moines, IA

Cost of Living Index

Chattanooga, TN: 88.6 (U.S. = 100) · Des Moines, IA: 87.6 (U.S. = 100)

Des Moines, IA has a lower cost-of-living index than Chattanooga, TN, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Chattanooga, TN: $1,098/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Des Moines, IA: $1,002/mo

Median rent in Chattanooga, TN is $96/mo higher than in Des Moines, IA.

Median Home Price

Chattanooga, TN: $259,200 · Des Moines, IA: $183,700

Median home price in Chattanooga, TN is $75,500 higher than in Des Moines, IA.

Median Household Income

Chattanooga, TN: $61,028 · Des Moines, IA: $63,966

Des Moines, IA has a higher median household income than Chattanooga, TN by $2,938.

Chattanooga, TN overview · Des Moines, IA overview · Popular comparisons