City comparison
Davenport, IA vs Huntsville, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Huntsville, AL are 4.5% higher than in Davenport, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Davenport, IA would need about $104,500 in Huntsville, AL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,136 a month in Huntsville, AL versus $928 in Davenport, IA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Huntsville, AL and 15% in Davenport, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,587 a year higher in Huntsville, AL than in Davenport, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.5% moving from Davenport, IA to Huntsville, AL ($108,137 → $110,847), while prices change by +4.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.9% in real buying power.
- Davenport, IA: price level 89.1 (much cheaper)
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Davenport, IA | Huntsville, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.1 | 93.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,483 in Huntsville | $95,710 in Davenport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $928/mo | $1,136/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,550 | $51,740 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Davenport-Moline, IA-IL | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN |
Rent areas: Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL MSA and Huntsville, AL MSA. Metro areas: Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL and Huntsville, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Davenport | Huntsville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.3 | 77.9 |
| Goods | 94.2 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 89.9 | 83.9 |
| Other services | 93.5 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 89.1 | 93.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Davenport, IA → Huntsville, AL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,587/yr.
55 Fair offer
Huntsville, AL → Davenport, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.5%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$1,587/yr.
83 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Davenport, IA is in the Davenport-Moline, IA-IL pay area; Huntsville, AL is in Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN. The last column shows what a transfer from Davenport, IA to Huntsville, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Davenport, IA | Huntsville, AL | Real change, Davenport → Huntsville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,708 | $64,279 | −1.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,871 | $77,772 | −1.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,937 | $93,216 | −1.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,137 | $110,847 | −1.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,786 | $130,987 | −1.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Davenport, IA | Huntsville, AL | Huntsville pay in Davenport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $62,250 | $59,579 (−3.4%) |
| Software Developers | $115,780 | $128,080 | $122,585 (+5.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,600 | $79,220 | $75,821 (−2.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,150 | $77,090 | $73,783 (−4.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.