City comparison
College Station, TX vs Davenport, IA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in College Station, TX are 2.1% higher than in Davenport, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Davenport, IA would need about $102,100 in College Station, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,082 a month in College Station, TX versus $928 in Davenport, IA. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in College Station, TX and 15% in Davenport, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,148 a year higher in Davenport, IA than in College Station, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.6% moving from College Station, TX to Davenport, IA ($106,437 → $108,137), while prices change by −2.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.7% in real buying power.
- College Station, TX: price level 91.0 (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
| College Station, TX | Davenport, IA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.0 | 89.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,942 in Davenport | $102,102 in College Station |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,082/mo | $928/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,032 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,148 (IA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,470 | $48,550 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Davenport-Moline, IA-IL |
Rent areas: College Station-Bryan, TX MSA and Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL MSA. Metro areas: College Station-Bryan, TX and Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | College Station | Davenport |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.1 | 68.3 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 94.2 |
| Utilities | 84.4 | 89.9 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 93.5 |
| Overall | 91.0 | 89.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
College Station, TX → Davenport, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.1%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$3,148/yr.
75 Strong offer
Davenport, IA → College Station, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$3,148/yr.
62 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
College Station, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Davenport, IA is in Davenport-Moline, IA-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from College Station, TX to Davenport, IA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | College Station, TX | Davenport, IA | Real change, College Station → Davenport |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,708 | +3.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,871 | +3.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,937 | +3.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,137 | +3.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,786 | +3.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | College Station, TX | Davenport, IA | Davenport pay in College Station dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $57,870 | $61,650 | $62,946 (+8.8%) |
| Software Developers | $101,910 | $115,780 | $118,213 (+16.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $71,810 | $77,600 | $79,231 (+10.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,090 | $77,150 | $78,771 (−5.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.