City comparison
Davenport, IA vs Reading, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reading, PA are 9.0% higher than in Davenport, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Davenport, IA would need about $109,000 in Reading, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,237 a month in Reading, PA versus $928 in Davenport, IA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Reading, 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 +8.5% moving from Davenport, IA to Reading, PA ($108,137 → $117,284), while prices change by +9.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.5% in real buying power.
- Davenport, IA: price level 89.1 (much cheaper)
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Davenport, IA | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.1 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,959 in Reading | $91,777 in Davenport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $928/mo | $1,237/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% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,550 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Davenport-Moline, IA-IL | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL MSA and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Davenport | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.3 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 94.2 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 89.9 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 93.5 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 89.1 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Davenport, IA → Reading, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.2%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$78/yr.
43 Weak offer
Reading, PA → Davenport, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$78/yr.
97 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Davenport, IA is in the Davenport-Moline, IA-IL pay area; Reading, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Davenport, IA to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Davenport, IA | Reading, PA | Real change, Davenport → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,708 | $68,013 | −0.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,871 | $82,289 | −0.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,937 | $98,630 | −0.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,137 | $117,284 | −0.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,786 | $138,595 | −0.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Davenport, IA | Reading, PA | Reading pay in Davenport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $79,860 | $73,293 (+18.9%) |
| Software Developers | $115,780 | $120,920 | $110,977 (−4.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,600 | $75,550 | $69,338 (−10.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,150 | $98,470 | $90,373 (+17.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.