City comparison
Davenport, IA vs Fayetteville, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Fayetteville, NC are 3.3% higher than in Davenport, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Davenport, IA would need about $103,300 in Fayetteville, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,113 a month in Fayetteville, NC versus $928 in Davenport, IA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Fayetteville, NC and 15% in Davenport, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $333 a year higher in Fayetteville, NC than in Davenport, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.8% moving from Davenport, IA to Fayetteville, NC ($108,137 → $111,147), while prices change by +3.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.5% in real buying power.
- Davenport, IA: price level 89.1 (much cheaper)
- Fayetteville, NC: price level 92.0 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Davenport, IA | Fayetteville, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.1 | 92.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,254 in Fayetteville | $96,848 in Davenport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $928/mo | $1,113/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,550 | $45,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Davenport-Moline, IA-IL | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC |
Rent areas: Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL MSA and Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL and Fayetteville, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Davenport | Fayetteville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.3 | 73.1 |
| Goods | 94.2 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 89.9 | 87.8 |
| Other services | 93.5 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 89.1 | 92.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Davenport, IA → Fayetteville, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$333/yr.
59 Fair offer
Fayetteville, NC → Davenport, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$333/yr.
79 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Davenport, IA is in the Davenport-Moline, IA-IL pay area; Fayetteville, NC is in Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Davenport, IA to Fayetteville, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Davenport, IA | Fayetteville, NC | Real change, Davenport → Fayetteville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,708 | $64,453 | −0.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,871 | $77,983 | −0.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,937 | $93,468 | −0.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,137 | $111,147 | −0.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,786 | $131,342 | −0.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Davenport, IA | Fayetteville, NC | Fayetteville pay in Davenport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $54,350 | $52,637 (−14.6%) |
| Software Developers | $115,780 | $122,900 | $119,026 (+2.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,600 | $78,560 | $76,084 (−2.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,150 | $83,060 | $80,442 (+4.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.