City comparison
Davenport, IA vs Kennewick, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Kennewick, WA are 12.3% higher than in Davenport, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Davenport, IA would need about $112,300 in Kennewick, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,268 a month in Kennewick, WA versus $928 in Davenport, IA. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Kennewick, WA and 15% in Davenport, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,148 a year higher in Davenport, IA than in Kennewick, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.6% moving from Davenport, IA to Kennewick, WA ($108,137 → $106,437), while prices change by +12.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.4% in real buying power.
- Davenport, IA: price level 89.1 (much cheaper)
- Kennewick, WA: price level 100.1 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Davenport, IA | Kennewick, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.1 | 100.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,349 in Kennewick | $89,009 in Davenport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $928/mo | $1,268/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,550 | $57,290 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Davenport-Moline, IA-IL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL MSA and Kennewick-Richland, WA MSA. Metro areas: Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL and Kennewick-Richland, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Davenport | Kennewick |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.3 | 94.8 |
| Goods | 94.2 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 89.9 | 93.6 |
| Other services | 93.5 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 89.1 | 100.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Davenport, IA → Kennewick, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.0%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$3,148/yr.
38 Weak offer
Kennewick, WA → Davenport, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.3%; 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; Kennewick, WA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Davenport, IA to Kennewick, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Davenport, IA | Kennewick, WA | Real change, Davenport → Kennewick |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,708 | $61,722 | −12.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,871 | $74,678 | −12.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,937 | $89,508 | −12.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,137 | $106,437 | −12.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,786 | $125,776 | −12.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Davenport, IA | Kennewick, WA | Kennewick pay in Davenport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $100,380 | $89,347 (+44.9%) |
| Software Developers | $115,780 | $127,800 | $113,753 (−1.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,600 | $93,280 | $83,027 (+7.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,150 | $106,410 | $94,714 (+22.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.