($1,490) Movers From Des Moines, IA to St. George, UT

What to know before moving from Des Moines to St. George

Moving from Des Moines to St. George comes with exciting new opportunities — but also higher living costs. Since St. George 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 St. George are 54% 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 St. George are 160.8% higher than in Des Moines.
• Income is the same in St. George and Des Moines. The top employers in St. George include LHC Health Services Inc, SkyWest Airlines Inc, and Sunroc Corporation.
• Be sure to budget for higher bills in St. George, since the cost of living for a single person in St. George is 13.8% higher than in Des Moines. This includes routine expenses like utilities, groceries, clothing, and transportation.
• If you’re moving your family to St. George, keep in mind that your living expenses could increase. The cost of living for a family in St. George is 4.5% higher than in Des Moines.
• The unemployment rate in St. George is 50.85% lower than in Des Moines.
• You’ll spend less on retail and restaurants in St. George, since the city’s sales taxes in St. George are 3.57% lower than in Des Moines.
• State income taxes in St. George are 12.50% higher than in Des Moines.

To put this in perspective, you would need around $3,414.07 in St. George 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. St. George

• St. George might offer you a slower pace of life, since the population is about 74% less than Des Moines.
• Getting around St. George without a car might be more difficult than in Des Moines. St. George has a public transportation score of 2 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.
• St. George neighborhoods and districts might not be as easy to navigate on foot as Des Moines. Based on its score of 27 out of 100, St. George 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.
• If cycling is your thing, St. George 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. St. George has a bike-friendliness score of 45 out of 100, while Des Moines is rated as 39 out of 100.
• The crime rate in St. George 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 29.02 in St. George, 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 St. George than in Des Moines, based on St. George’s safety index of 70.98 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 St. George 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. St. George move

• Weather: April, October and May are the best months to move to St. George, while you may need additional weather consideration during July and August as these months get hotter compared to other months.
• 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: Although a local license is not required in Utah, make sure the moving company you’ll be hiring is registered with U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). To verify if you’re dealing with a legal and licensed mover, you may ask them their USDOT registration number. Make sure the moving company you use has a license before hiring.
• State regulator: You can verify a Utah moving license and its status through the state's public utilities commission.
• Moving permits: Utah 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 St. George. Get started here.
• Moving company insurance: Every state requires moving companies to carry different levels of insurance.In Utah, movers commonly offer Released Value Protection at no extra cost, providing coverage at 60 cents per pound. To increase protection, consider discussing Full Value Protection options with the moving company.
• Moving checklist: Our moving checklist will help you have the peace of mind that you've got everything covered.

Where to live in St. George

Now that you've decided to make the move to "Dixie", these are the best neighborhoods to move to in St. George.

Helpful moving resources