($1,459) Movers From Des Moines, IA to Winston-Salem, NC

What to know before moving from Des Moines to Winston-Salem

Moving from Des Moines to Winston-Salem comes with exciting new opportunities — but also higher living costs. Since Winston-Salem 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 Winston-Salem are 13% 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 Winston-Salem are 29.4% higher than in Des Moines.
• Income in Winston-Salem is 6.7% higher than in Des Moines, so you could earn more for doing the same job. The top employers in Winston-Salem include Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Novant Health, and Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools.
• Be sure to budget for higher bills in Winston-Salem, since the cost of living for a single person in Winston-Salem is 28.0% higher than in Des Moines. This includes routine expenses like utilities, groceries, clothing, and transportation.
• If you’re moving your family to Winston-Salem, keep in mind that your living expenses could increase. The cost of living for a family in Winston-Salem is 20.2% higher than in Des Moines.
• The unemployment rate in Winston-Salem is 11.86% lower than in Des Moines.
• Sales taxes are the same in Winston-Salem and Des Moines.
• State income taxes in Winston-Salem are 2.27% higher than in Des Moines.

To put this in perspective, you would need around $3,839.24 in Winston-Salem 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. Winston-Salem

• Winston-Salem might offer you a slower pace of life, since the population is about 64% less than Des Moines.
• Getting around Winston-Salem without a car might be more difficult than in Des Moines. Winston-Salem has a public transportation score of 3 out of 10, whereas Des Moines is ranked 5. Ratings are based on a city’s transit connectivity, service frequency, and accessibility to key destinations like jobs and grocery stores.
• Winston-Salem neighborhoods and districts might not be as easy to navigate on foot as Des Moines. Based on its score of 22 out of 100, Winston-Salem isn’t as walkable as Des Moines, which has a score of 45 out of 100. The higher the walkability score a city has, the easier it is to access amenities. The most walkable cities also tend to be more densely populated and have shorter block lengths.
• You probably won’t see as many cycling lanes or off-road trails in Winston-Salem, which is ranked as less bike-friendly than Des Moines. While Des Moines has a bike-friendliness score of 39 out of 100, Winston-Salem earned a 29. Scores are based on factors like whether a city accommodates cyclists on major roadways, how often people bike to work, and how many steep hills it has.
• The crime rate in Winston-Salem 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 32.67 in Winston-Salem, it is 5.0 in Des Moines. With this index, the lower the score, the better, since it indicates a city’s crime levels.
• You might find more confidence in your overall safety in Winston-Salem than in Des Moines, based on Winston-Salem’s safety index of 67.33 versus 57.8 for Des Moines. With this index, higher scores indicate more safety, particularly around how comfortable residents feel walking alone during the day and at night.
• The air quality in Winston-Salem and Des Moines is generally the same (Good). Cities with good to moderate ratings have clean or acceptable air quality, with the possibility of small pollutants affecting people with certain health conditions like asthma. Anything beyond the moderate rate means increased impact on residents.

Other things to consider for your Des Moines vs. Winston-Salem move

• Weather: Climate in Winston-Salem is unlikely to affect your move but a freezing day in the winter could affect the conditions of the roads.
• HOA rules: Check ahead with any neighborhood or community rules on moving to ensure a smooth move.
• Elevator reservation: If your building has an elevator you'll want to check on how to reserve it for move day.
• Truck parking permits: Some cities require parking permits for large vehicles and moving trucks. Find out if you need any parking permits ahead of time.
• State licensing: For-profit household goods carriers in the state fall under the jurisdiction of the North Carolina Utilities Commission, Transportation Division. All legitimate movers should have a “C Number” issued by the commission, signifying that they’ve met minimum insurance requirements and adhere to the provisions outlined in the state’s Maximum Rate Tariff (MRT). Make sure the moving company you use has a license before hiring.
• State regulator: You can verify a North Carolina moving license and its status through the state's public utilities commission.
• Moving permits: North Carolina does not require any moving permits, but it is helpful to check local parking restrictions before moving into the state.
• Change of address: We recommend submitting your change of address form with USPS at least a week prior to your move. You can set an official move date on the form and this way all of your mail will get properly forwarded to Winston-Salem. Get started here.
• Moving company insurance: Every state requires moving companies to carry different levels of insurance.Choose Released Value Protection for no-cost, minimal coverage from movers, with responsibility limited to 60 cents per pound per article. For comprehensive coverage, explore alternatives with your chosen moving company or consider a third-party insurance provider.
• Moving checklist: Our moving checklist will help you have the peace of mind that you've got everything covered.

Where to live in Winston-Salem

Now that you've decided to make the move to "Camel City", these are the best neighborhoods to move to in Winston-Salem.

Helpful moving resources