BUSINESS COSTS
The cost of doing business in the Greater Des Moines Region is approximately 16% lower than that of the nation as a whole.
- The 2012 Salary Guides by Robert Half index salaries in the Des Moines region at 3 percent below the national average for
information technology, accounting and finance, specialized administrative and legal positions.
-
Iowa ranks in the lowest cost third of states for Workers' Compensation comparative costs for manufacturing, based on a uniform payroll distribution.
- The Standard New Employer Unemployment Insurance Tax rate for non-construction employers in 2012 is 1.5 percent on a wage base of $25,300. Approximately 52 percent of Iowa businesses will experience a zero rate.
LIVING COSTS
For Greater Des Moines residents and visitors, it is typical to find combined savings of 10% over the nation in groceries, utilities, transportation and more.
ACCRA Cost of Living Index - 2012 First Quarter
(All Areas = 100.0)
Composite Index = 90.4
Grocery Items 92.2
Housing 90.0
Utilities 88.6
Transportation 94.7
Health Care 85.1
Miscellaneous Goods and Services 90.0
Source: The Council for Community and Economic Research, www.coli.org
Cost of Living Index Calculator
Click the above link to check prices of individual urban areas against those in Greater Des Moines. Partnership staff and their counterparts nationwide collect hundreds of individual prices several times per year. The results feed into the Calculator for a one-year rolling average, refreshed quarterly.
