Johnson City → Des Moines-West Des Moines
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Johnson City to Des Moines-West Des Moines is favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 87.9 to 91.7 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $186/mo.
- +$12,874
- BLS median salary higher in Des Moines-West Des Moines
- 602 to 238
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 15.3:1 to 14.8:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $446
- DOL infant care higher / yr in Des Moines-West Des Moines
BEA Regional Price Parity, HUD Fair Market Rent, BLS OEWS, FBI UCR, NCES, and DOL. The table below lets you override the composite with your own priorities.
Pros of Moving
- + $13K higher median salary
- + Lower violent crime rate
- + Fewer environmental violations
Cons of Moving
- - 4% higher cost of living
- - $186/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 87.9 to 91.7 (ratio 1.04), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $186/mo ($2,232/yr) from $1,132 in Johnson City to $1,318 in Des Moines-West Des Moines.
The seven-dimension ledger splits (4 destination wins · 3 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Des Moines-West Des Moines sits #145 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Johnson City is #249/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $12,874 higher ($57,056 → $69,930). Labor-market size: 74,580 tracked jobs at origin vs 394,120 at destination.
State retirement friendliness is near-even: Tennessee 66 (C, #17/51) vs Iowa 70 (B, #8/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.
State retirement friendliness
Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.
- Income tax
- 100
- Property tax
- 80
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 36
- Income tax
- 85
- Property tax
- 58
- Estate tax
- 50
- Healthcare
- 42
Full retirement ranking · Source composite documented on methodology (Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides + federal healthcare/climate inputs).
Salary Adjustment Calculator
Enter your current salary in Johnson City to see what you'd need to earn in Des Moines-West Des Moines to maintain the same purchasing power.
Des Moines-West Des Moines metro profile · Livability rankings · Methodology
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA; retirement desk: Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides June 2026