City comparison
Davenport, IA vs Nashville, TN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Nashville, TN are 8.1% higher than in Davenport, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Davenport, IA would need about $108,100 in Nashville, TN to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,578 a month in Nashville, TN versus $928 in Davenport, IA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Nashville, TN and 15% in Davenport, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,148 a year higher in Davenport, IA than in Nashville, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.6% moving from Davenport, IA to Nashville, TN ($108,137 → $106,437), while prices change by +8.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.0% in real buying power.
- Davenport, IA: price level 89.1 (much cheaper)
- Nashville, TN: price level 96.3 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Davenport, IA | Nashville, TN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.1 | 96.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,149 in Nashville | $92,465 in Davenport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $928/mo | $1,578/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $0 (TN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,550 | $50,390 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Davenport-Moline, IA-IL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL MSA and Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL and Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Davenport | Nashville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.3 | 104.6 |
| Goods | 94.2 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 89.9 | 72.0 |
| Other services | 93.5 | 95.1 |
| Overall | 89.1 | 96.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Davenport, IA → Nashville, TN
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.5%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$3,148/yr.
45 Fair offer
Nashville, TN → Davenport, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.1%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$3,148/yr.
94 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Davenport, IA is in the Davenport-Moline, IA-IL pay area; Nashville, TN is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Davenport, IA to Nashville, TN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Davenport, IA | Nashville, TN | Real change, Davenport → Nashville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,708 | $61,722 | −9.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,871 | $74,678 | −9.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,937 | $89,508 | −9.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,137 | $106,437 | −9.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,786 | $125,776 | −9.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Davenport, IA | Nashville, TN | Nashville pay in Davenport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $61,460 | $56,829 (−7.8%) |
| Software Developers | $115,780 | $126,610 | $117,070 (+1.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,600 | $78,080 | $72,197 (−7.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,150 | $84,040 | $77,708 (+0.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.