City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs Davenport, IA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Colorado Springs, CO are 13.1% higher than in Davenport, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Davenport, IA would need about $113,100 in Colorado Springs, CO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,464 a month in Colorado Springs, CO versus $928 in Davenport, IA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Colorado Springs, CO and 15% in Davenport, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $543 a year higher in Colorado Springs, CO than in Davenport, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.0% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to Davenport, IA ($109,246 → $108,137), while prices change by −11.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +11.9% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- Davenport, IA: price level 89.1 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Colorado Springs, CO | Davenport, IA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 89.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $88,454 in Davenport | $113,054 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $928/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $76,032 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $3,148 (IA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $48,550 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | Davenport-Moline, IA-IL |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL MSA. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | Davenport |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 68.3 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 94.2 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 89.9 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 93.5 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 89.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → Davenport, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.1%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$543/yr.
100 Strong offer
Davenport, IA → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.5%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$543/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; Davenport, IA is in Davenport-Moline, IA-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to Davenport, IA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | Davenport, IA | Real change, Colorado Springs → Davenport |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $62,708 | +11.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $75,871 | +11.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $90,937 | +11.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $108,137 | +11.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $127,786 | +11.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | Davenport, IA | Davenport pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $61,650 | $69,698 (+14.0%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $115,780 | $130,893 (−2.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $77,600 | $87,730 (+3.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $77,150 | $87,221 (−9.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.