City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Davenport, IA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 15.7% higher than in Davenport, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Davenport, IA would need about $115,700 in Dallas, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,648 a month in Dallas, TX versus $928 in Davenport, IA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 15% in Davenport, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,148 a year higher in Davenport, IA than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −6.5% moving from Dallas, TX to Davenport, IA ($115,711 → $108,137), while prices change by −13.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.2% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- 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
| Dallas, TX | Davenport, IA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 89.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $86,409 in Davenport | $115,729 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $928/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,032 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,148 (IA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $48,550 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Davenport-Moline, IA-IL |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL MSA. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Davenport |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 68.3 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 94.2 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 89.9 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 93.5 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 89.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Davenport, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.7%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$3,148/yr.
100 Strong offer
Davenport, IA → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$3,148/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Davenport, IA is in Davenport-Moline, IA-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Davenport, IA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Davenport, IA | Real change, Dallas → Davenport |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $62,708 | +8.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $75,871 | +8.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $90,937 | +8.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $108,137 | +8.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $127,786 | +8.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Davenport, IA | Davenport pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $61,650 | $71,347 (+9.6%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $115,780 | $133,991 (+0.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $77,600 | $89,805 (+8.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $77,150 | $89,285 (−12.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.