City comparison
Davenport, IA vs Tucson, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tucson, AZ are 8.8% higher than in Davenport, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Davenport, IA would need about $108,800 in Tucson, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,081 a month in Tucson, AZ versus $928 in Davenport, IA. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Tucson, AZ and 15% in Davenport, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $857 a year higher in Davenport, IA than in Tucson, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.3% moving from Davenport, IA to Tucson, AZ ($108,137 → $108,455), while prices change by +8.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.8% in real buying power.
- Davenport, IA: price level 89.1 (much cheaper)
- Tucson, AZ: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Davenport, IA | Tucson, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.1 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,775 in Tucson | $91,933 in Davenport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $928/mo | $1,081/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% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,550 | $47,760 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Davenport-Moline, IA-IL | Tucson-Nogales, AZ |
Rent areas: Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL MSA and Tucson, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL and Tucson, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Davenport | Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.3 | 91.8 |
| Goods | 94.2 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 89.9 | 89.5 |
| Other services | 93.5 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 89.1 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Davenport, IA → Tucson, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.1%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$857/yr.
44 Weak offer
Tucson, AZ → Davenport, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.8%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$857/yr.
96 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Davenport, IA is in the Davenport-Moline, IA-IL pay area; Tucson, AZ is in Tucson-Nogales, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Davenport, IA to Tucson, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Davenport, IA | Tucson, AZ | Real change, Davenport → Tucson |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,708 | $62,893 | −7.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,871 | $76,095 | −7.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,937 | $91,205 | −7.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,137 | $108,455 | −7.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,786 | $128,162 | −7.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Davenport, IA | Tucson, AZ | Tucson pay in Davenport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $47,220 | $43,411 (−29.6%) |
| Software Developers | $115,780 | $123,710 | $113,730 (−1.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,600 | $76,320 | $70,163 (−9.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,150 | $94,110 | $86,518 (+12.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.