City comparison
Davenport, IA vs Lancaster, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Lancaster, PA are 10.3% higher than in Davenport, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Davenport, IA would need about $110,300 in Lancaster, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,220 a month in Lancaster, PA versus $928 in Davenport, IA. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Lancaster, PA and 15% in Davenport, IA.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,148 a year in IA and $3,070 in PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.4% moving from Davenport, IA to Lancaster, PA ($108,137 → $108,592), while prices change by +10.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.0% in real buying power.
- Davenport, IA: price level 89.1 (much cheaper)
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Davenport, IA | Lancaster, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.1 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,303 in Lancaster | $90,659 in Davenport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $928/mo | $1,220/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,550 | $48,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Davenport-Moline, IA-IL | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL MSA and Lancaster, PA MSA. Metro areas: Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL and Lancaster, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Davenport | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.3 | 93.8 |
| Goods | 94.2 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 89.9 | 107.3 |
| Other services | 93.5 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 89.1 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Davenport, IA → Lancaster, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.3%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$78/yr.
40 Weak offer
Lancaster, PA → Davenport, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$78/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Davenport, IA is in the Davenport-Moline, IA-IL pay area; Lancaster, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Davenport, IA to Lancaster, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Davenport, IA | Lancaster, PA | Real change, Davenport → Lancaster |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,708 | $62,972 | −9.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,871 | $76,190 | −9.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,937 | $91,320 | −9.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,137 | $108,592 | −9.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,786 | $128,323 | −9.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Davenport, IA | Lancaster, PA | Lancaster pay in Davenport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $78,360 | $71,041 (+15.2%) |
| Software Developers | $115,780 | $104,740 | $94,956 (−18.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,600 | $76,110 | $69,001 (−11.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,150 | $89,620 | $81,249 (+5.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.