City comparison
Cleveland, OH vs Davenport, IA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Cleveland, OH are 5.4% higher than in Davenport, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Davenport, IA would need about $105,400 in Cleveland, OH to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,058 a month in Cleveland, OH versus $928 in Davenport, IA. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Cleveland, OH and 15% in Davenport, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,181 a year higher in Davenport, IA than in Cleveland, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.7% moving from Cleveland, OH to Davenport, IA ($111,138 → $108,137), while prices change by −5.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.6% in real buying power.
- Cleveland, OH: price level 93.9 (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
| Cleveland, OH | Davenport, IA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.9 | 89.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,843 in Davenport | $105,438 in Cleveland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,058/mo | $928/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $76,032 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $3,148 (IA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,140 | $48,550 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Davenport-Moline, IA-IL |
Rent areas: Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL MSA. Metro areas: Cleveland, OH and Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cleveland | Davenport |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.4 | 68.3 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 94.2 |
| Utilities | 96.0 | 89.9 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 93.5 |
| Overall | 93.9 | 89.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cleveland, OH → Davenport, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.4%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$1,181/yr.
86 Strong offer
Davenport, IA → Cleveland, OH
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.2%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,181/yr.
53 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cleveland, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Davenport, IA is in Davenport-Moline, IA-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Cleveland, OH to Davenport, IA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cleveland, OH | Davenport, IA | Real change, Cleveland → Davenport |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $62,708 | +2.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $75,871 | +2.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $90,937 | +2.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $108,137 | +2.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $127,786 | +2.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cleveland, OH | Davenport, IA | Davenport pay in Cleveland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,470 | $61,650 | $65,002 (−15.0%) |
| Software Developers | $111,310 | $115,780 | $122,076 (+9.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,000 | $77,600 | $81,820 (+2.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,940 | $77,150 | $81,345 (−3.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.