Is $80,000 a good salary in Iowa?

$80,000 in Iowa provides a monthly take-home of approximately $5,157 after taxes. Across major Iowa cities, this salary is rated very comfortable, with an average monthly surplus of $3,281.

What is the cost of living on $80,000 in Iowa?

The average monthly living cost across major Iowa cities is approximately $1,876 for a single adult (rent, food, transport, utilities, healthcare). On $80,000 take-home pay of $5,157/month, you would have roughly $3,281/month remaining.

Living in Iowa · 2026

Is $80,000 enough to live in Iowa?

Single adult · IA · 2026 tax brackets · Real cost-of-living data

Statewide verdict:Very comfortable

Monthly take-home

$5,157

Avg monthly expenses

$1,876

Avg monthly surplus

$3,281

Savings potential

~64%

After-tax take-home in Iowa

Gross salary$80,000

Federal income tax− $8,954

State income tax− $3,040

Social Security− $4,960

Medicare− $1,160

Annual take-home$61,886

Effective tax rate22.64%

How $80,000 feels in Iowa cities

Rent: HUD FMR 2026 · Food: USDA Low-Cost Plan × COL · Transport/Utilities/Healthcare: BLS CES × COL

Des Moines

COL index: 0.93× national avg

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$1,100

Food

$405

Transport

$163

Utilities

$153

Healthcare

$186

Total: $2,007/mo

Surplus: $3,150/mo

Rent burden: 21.3% — Affordable (< 25%)

Full Des Moines analysis →

Cedar Rapids

COL index: 0.88× national avg

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$1,000

Food

$396

Transport

$154

Utilities

$145

Healthcare

$176

Total: $1,871/mo

Surplus: $3,286/mo

Rent burden: 19.4% — Affordable (< 25%)

Full Cedar Rapids analysis →

Davenport

COL index: 0.87× national avg

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$980

Food

$392

Transport

$152

Utilities

$144

Healthcare

$174

Total: $1,842/mo

Surplus: $3,315/mo

Rent burden: 19.0% — Affordable (< 25%)

Full Davenport analysis →

Sioux City

COL index: 0.83× national avg

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$900

Food

$387

Transport

$145

Utilities

$137

Healthcare

$166

Total: $1,735/mo

Surplus: $3,422/mo

Rent burden: 17.5% — Affordable (< 25%)

Full Sioux City analysis →

Waterloo

COL index: 0.82× national avg

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$880

Food

$383

Transport

$144

Utilities

$135

Healthcare

$164

Total: $1,706/mo

Surplus: $3,451/mo

Rent burden: 17.1% — Affordable (< 25%)

Full Waterloo analysis →

Iowa City

COL index: 0.95× national avg

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$1,150

Food

$431

Transport

$166

Utilities

$157

Healthcare

$190

Total: $2,094/mo

Surplus: $3,063/mo

Rent burden: 22.3% — Affordable (< 25%)

Full Iowa City analysis →

50 / 30 / 20 Budget Planner

Based on your monthly take-home of $5,157 ($61,884/yr)

Needs 50%Wants 30%Savings 20%

Needs50%

$2,579

per month

›Rent / mortgage
›Groceries
›Utilities
›Insurance
›Minimum debt payments
›Transportation

Wants30%

$1,547

per month

›Dining out
›Streaming services
›Gym
›Hobbies
›Travel
›Shopping

Savings20%

$1,031

per month

›Emergency fund
›401(k) / IRA
›Investments
›Down payment fund
›Debt payoff (extra)

Needs / year

$30,942

Wants / year

$18,565

Savings / year

$12,377

Salary Intelligence

Good salary in Des Moines

Rent represents 21% of take-home income — comfortably within the recommended 25% guideline. This is a solid salary for this location.

Lifestyle score: 7.7/10 (Very Good)

Lifestyle Assessment

A $80,000 salary comfortably supports a very good single lifestyle in Des Moines, Iowa, with approximately $3,150/month (~61% of take-home) available for savings — meeting or exceeding the recommended 20% savings rate.

Purchasing Power

Des Moines is near the national cost-of-living average (index: 0.93). $80,000 here is roughly equivalent to $159,140 in San Francisco or $75,699 in an affordable city like Birmingham.

State & National Benchmark

$80,000 is 90% above the Iowa individual median of $42,100 and 43% above the US national individual median of $56,000. This is a top-quartile income in this state.

State individual median

$42,100

+90%

State household median

$72,429

+10%

Tax reduction strategies

Maximize 401(k) Contributions — Up to $5,170 in federal tax (22% bracket)

401(k) Age 50+ Catch-Up Contribution — Up to $2,775 additional tax savings (37% bracket)

$80,000 vs. Iowa income benchmarks

Individual median (Iowa)

$42,100

+90% vs. this salary

Household median (Iowa)

$72,429

+10% vs. this salary

Source: US Census Bureau ACS 2023

Related salary insights

Explore other salary levels in Iowa

$40,000 $60,000 $100,000 $150,000 $200,000 $300,000

Reviewed by

Finance Editor

CPA, 10+ years in personal finance

Data Sources

•Tax calculations: IRS federal tax tables
•Rent data: HUD Fair Market Rents
•Cost-of-living index: C2ER / ACCRA Cost of Living Index

Data updated monthly using government datasets.