($1,603) Movers From Des Moines, IA to Riverside, CA

What to know before moving from Des Moines to Riverside

Moving from Des Moines to Riverside comes with exciting new opportunities — but also higher living costs. Since Riverside is generally more expensive than Des Moines, it’s important to plan ahead and budget carefully for the change.

Check out how the two cities compare so you know what to expect before you relocate:

• Rent prices in Riverside are 100% higher than in Des Moines, which means you’ll have less money in your pocket each month.
• In terms of homeownership, you’ll be able to get more for your money in Des Moines.
  Home prices in Riverside are 233.9% higher than in Des Moines.
• Income in Riverside is 31.2% higher than in Des Moines, so you could earn more for doing the same job. The top employers in Riverside include Bourns, California Baptist University, and Riverside County Office of Education.
• Be sure to budget for higher bills in Riverside, since the cost of living for a single person in Riverside is 36.1% higher than in Des Moines. This includes routine expenses like utilities, groceries, clothing, and transportation.
• If you’re moving your family to Riverside, keep in mind that your living expenses could increase. The cost of living for a family in Riverside is 27.9% higher than in Des Moines.
• The unemployment rate in Riverside is 20.34% higher than in Des Moines.
• You’ll spend more on retail and restaurants in Riverside, since the city’s sales taxes in Riverside are 25.00% higher than in Des Moines.
• State income taxes in Riverside are 202.27% higher than in Des Moines.

To put this in perspective, you would need around $4,081.97 in Riverside to maintain the same standard of life that you can have with $3,000.00 in Des Moines.

How life is different in Des Moines vs. Riverside

• Riverside might offer you a slower pace of life, since the population is about 55% less than Des Moines.
• Your access to buses, shuttles, trams, or trains in Riverside will be about the same as it currently is in Des Moines. The cities share a similar public transportation score, which means their transit systems are comparable in terms of how connected they are, how often they provide service, and how close they are to jobs, housing, retail and food stores, and other important locations.
• You’ll find Riverside to be about as walkable as Des Moines. The two cities have similar walkability scores of 43 and 45 respectively out of 100 in terms of how close housing is to businesses, recreational facilities, and jobs.
• If cycling is your thing, Riverside is considered more bike-friendly than Des Moines in terms of designated lanes and connectivity and how many residents opt to commute on two wheels rather than by car. Riverside has a bike-friendliness score of 49 out of 100, while Des Moines is rated as 39 out of 100.
• The crime rate in Riverside is higher than in Des Moines, so you may want to exercise a little extra caution as you're acclimating to your new location. While the crime index is 40.24 in Riverside, it is 5.0 in Des Moines. With this index, the lower the score, the better, since it indicates a city’s crime levels.
• Riverside is generally as safe as Des Moines, according to their similar safety index ratings. The ratings are based on how comfortable residents feel about walking alone during the daytime and nighttime and the number of small crimes like theft and muggings.
• The air quality in Riverside isn’t as good as it is in Des Moines, so you may want to take precautions if you suffer from conditions like allergies or asthma. Riverside has an air quality rating of Moderate, and Des Moines is considered to be good. Cities with good to moderate air quality may have varying levels of minor potential for health risks for certain people. Beyond the moderate rating, those health risks increase in severity and the amount of residents affected.