City comparison
Davenport, IA vs Phoenix, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Phoenix, AZ are 16.0% higher than in Davenport, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Davenport, IA would need about $116,000 in Phoenix, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,583 a month in Phoenix, AZ versus $928 in Davenport, IA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Phoenix, AZ and 15% in Davenport, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $857 a year higher in Davenport, IA than in Phoenix, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.0% moving from Davenport, IA to Phoenix, AZ ($108,137 → $111,338), while prices change by +16.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.2% in real buying power.
- Davenport, IA: price level 89.1 (much cheaper)
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Davenport, IA | Phoenix, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.1 | 103.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $115,982 in Phoenix | $86,220 in Davenport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $928/mo | $1,583/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,550 | $51,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Davenport-Moline, IA-IL | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ |
Rent areas: Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL MSA and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Davenport | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.3 | 121.2 |
| Goods | 94.2 | 95.0 |
| Utilities | 89.9 | 93.3 |
| Other services | 93.5 | 104.0 |
| Overall | 89.1 | 103.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Davenport, IA → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.8%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$857/yr.
38 Weak offer
Phoenix, AZ → Davenport, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$857/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Davenport, IA is in the Davenport-Moline, IA-IL pay area; Phoenix, AZ is in Phoenix-Mesa, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Davenport, IA to Phoenix, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Davenport, IA | Phoenix, AZ | Real change, Davenport → Phoenix |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,708 | $64,564 | −11.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,871 | $78,117 | −11.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,937 | $93,629 | −11.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,137 | $111,338 | −11.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,786 | $131,568 | −11.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Davenport, IA | Phoenix, AZ | Phoenix pay in Davenport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $59,180 | $51,025 (−17.2%) |
| Software Developers | $115,780 | $131,750 | $113,595 (−1.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,600 | $80,820 | $69,683 (−10.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,150 | $100,830 | $86,936 (+12.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.