City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Davenport, IA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Birmingham, AL are 2.9% higher than in Davenport, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Davenport, IA would need about $102,900 in Birmingham, AL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,155 a month in Birmingham, AL versus $928 in Davenport, IA. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Birmingham, AL and 15% in Davenport, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,587 a year higher in Birmingham, AL than in Davenport, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.6% moving from Birmingham, AL to Davenport, IA ($107,510 → $108,137), while prices change by −2.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.5% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- Davenport, IA: price level 89.1 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Davenport, IA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 89.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,201 in Davenport | $102,879 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $928/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $76,032 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $3,148 (IA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $48,550 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Davenport-Moline, IA-IL |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL MSA. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Davenport |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 68.3 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 94.2 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 89.9 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 93.5 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 89.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Davenport, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.9%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$1,587/yr.
78 Strong offer
Davenport, IA → Birmingham, AL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$1,587/yr.
60 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Davenport, IA is in Davenport-Moline, IA-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Davenport, IA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Davenport, IA | Real change, Birmingham → Davenport |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $62,708 | +3.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $75,871 | +3.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $90,937 | +3.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $108,137 | +3.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $127,786 | +3.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Davenport, IA | Davenport pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $61,650 | $63,425 (+1.3%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $115,780 | $119,114 (−5.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $77,600 | $79,834 (+1.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $77,150 | $79,372 (+0.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.