City comparison
Davenport, IA vs Detroit, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Detroit, MI are 12.6% higher than in Davenport, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Davenport, IA would need about $112,600 in Detroit, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,122 a month in Detroit, MI versus $928 in Davenport, IA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Detroit, MI and 15% in Davenport, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $851 a year higher in Detroit, MI than in Davenport, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.6% moving from Davenport, IA to Detroit, MI ($108,137 → $117,402), while prices change by +12.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.6% in real buying power.
- Davenport, IA: price level 89.1 (much cheaper)
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Davenport, IA | Detroit, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.1 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,594 in Detroit | $88,814 in Davenport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $928/mo | $1,122/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,550 | $52,080 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Davenport-Moline, IA-IL | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL MSA and Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL and Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Davenport | Detroit |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.3 | 94.7 |
| Goods | 94.2 | 98.8 |
| Utilities | 89.9 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 93.5 | 102.6 |
| Overall | 89.1 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Davenport, IA → Detroit, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$851/yr.
38 Weak offer
Detroit, MI → Davenport, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.6%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$851/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Davenport, IA is in the Davenport-Moline, IA-IL pay area; Detroit, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Davenport, IA to Detroit, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Davenport, IA | Detroit, MI | Real change, Davenport → Detroit |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,708 | $68,081 | −3.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,871 | $82,372 | −3.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,937 | $98,729 | −3.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,137 | $117,402 | −3.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,786 | $138,734 | −3.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Davenport, IA | Detroit, MI | Detroit pay in Davenport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $65,210 | $57,916 (−6.1%) |
| Software Developers | $115,780 | $130,760 | $116,134 (+0.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,600 | $80,650 | $71,629 (−7.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,150 | $97,280 | $86,399 (+12.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.