City comparison
Davenport, IA vs Houston, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 10.7% higher than in Davenport, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Davenport, IA would need about $110,700 in Houston, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,323 a month in Houston, TX versus $928 in Davenport, IA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, 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 Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +13.5% moving from Davenport, IA to Houston, TX ($108,137 → $122,749), while prices change by +10.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.5% in real buying power.
- Davenport, IA: price level 89.1 (much cheaper)
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Davenport, IA | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.1 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,721 in Houston | $90,317 in Davenport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $928/mo | $1,323/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,550 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Davenport-Moline, IA-IL | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL MSA and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Davenport | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.3 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 94.2 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 89.9 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 93.5 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 89.1 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Davenport, IA → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$3,148/yr.
38 Weak offer
Houston, TX → Davenport, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.7%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$3,148/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Davenport, IA is in the Davenport-Moline, IA-IL pay area; Houston, TX is in Houston-The Woodlands, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Davenport, IA to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Davenport, IA | Houston, TX | Real change, Davenport → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,708 | $71,181 | +2.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,871 | $86,123 | +2.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,937 | $103,225 | +2.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,137 | $122,749 | +2.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,786 | $145,052 | +2.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Davenport, IA | Houston, TX | Houston pay in Davenport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $64,500 | $58,255 (−5.5%) |
| Software Developers | $115,780 | $129,440 | $116,907 (+1.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,600 | $85,090 | $76,851 (−1.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,150 | $99,830 | $90,164 (+16.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.