City comparison
Davenport, IA vs Modesto, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Modesto, CA are 16.9% higher than in Davenport, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Davenport, IA would need about $116,900 in Modesto, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,356 a month in Modesto, CA versus $928 in Davenport, IA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Modesto, CA and 15% in Davenport, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,922 a year higher in Modesto, CA than in Davenport, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +23.0% moving from Davenport, IA to Modesto, CA ($108,137 → $133,060), while prices change by +16.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.3% in real buying power.
- Davenport, IA: price level 89.1 (much cheaper)
- Modesto, CA: price level 104.1 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Davenport, IA | Modesto, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.1 | 104.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $116,872 in Modesto | $85,564 in Davenport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $928/mo | $1,356/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,550 | $50,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Davenport-Moline, IA-IL | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL MSA and Modesto, CA MSA. Metro areas: Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL and Modesto, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Davenport | Modesto |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.3 | 108.5 |
| Goods | 94.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 89.9 | 152.3 |
| Other services | 93.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 89.1 | 104.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Davenport, IA → Modesto, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.4%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$1,922/yr.
38 Weak offer
Modesto, CA → Davenport, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.9%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$1,922/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Davenport, IA is in the Davenport-Moline, IA-IL pay area; Modesto, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Davenport, IA to Modesto, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Davenport, IA | Modesto, CA | Real change, Davenport → Modesto |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,708 | $77,161 | +5.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,871 | $93,358 | +5.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,937 | $111,896 | +5.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,137 | $133,060 | +5.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,786 | $157,236 | +5.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Davenport, IA | Modesto, CA | Modesto pay in Davenport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $108,280 | not published | — |
| Software Developers | $115,780 | $119,770 | $102,480 (−11.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,600 | $83,560 | $71,497 (−7.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,150 | $132,590 | $113,449 (+47.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.