City comparison
Buffalo, NY vs Davenport, IA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Buffalo, NY are 7.6% higher than in Davenport, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Davenport, IA would need about $107,600 in Buffalo, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,139 a month in Buffalo, NY versus $928 in Davenport, IA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Buffalo, NY and 15% in Davenport, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,712 a year higher in Buffalo, NY than in Davenport, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.8% moving from Buffalo, NY to Davenport, IA ($111,301 → $108,137), while prices change by −7.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.5% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (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
| Buffalo, NY | Davenport, IA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 89.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,942 in Davenport | $107,594 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $928/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $76,032 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $3,148 (IA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $48,550 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | Davenport-Moline, IA-IL |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL MSA. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Davenport |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 68.3 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 94.2 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 89.9 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 93.5 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 89.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Davenport, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.6%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$1,712/yr.
92 Strong offer
Davenport, IA → Buffalo, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,712/yr.
47 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; Davenport, IA is in Davenport-Moline, IA-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Davenport, IA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Davenport, IA | Real change, Buffalo → Davenport |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $62,708 | +4.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $75,871 | +4.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $90,937 | +4.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $108,137 | +4.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $127,786 | +4.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Davenport, IA | Davenport pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $61,650 | $66,332 (−13.3%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $115,780 | $124,573 (−2.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $77,600 | $83,493 (+1.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $77,150 | $83,009 (−16.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.