City comparison
Davenport, IA vs Omaha, NE
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Omaha, NE are 3.2% higher than in Davenport, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Davenport, IA would need about $103,200 in Omaha, NE to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,148 a month in Omaha, NE versus $928 in Davenport, IA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Omaha, NE and 15% in Davenport, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $522 a year higher in Omaha, NE than in Davenport, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.6% moving from Davenport, IA to Omaha, NE ($108,137 → $107,501), while prices change by +3.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.7% in real buying power.
- Davenport, IA: price level 89.1 (much cheaper)
- Omaha, NE: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Davenport, IA | Omaha, NE | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.1 | 91.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,179 in Omaha | $96,919 in Davenport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $928/mo | $1,148/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $75,510 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $3,670 (NE) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,550 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Davenport-Moline, IA-IL | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA |
Rent areas: Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL MSA and Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL and Omaha, NE-IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Davenport | Omaha |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.3 | 86.4 |
| Goods | 94.2 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 89.9 | 76.4 |
| Other services | 93.5 | 93.0 |
| Overall | 89.1 | 91.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Davenport, IA → Omaha, NE
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$522/yr.
59 Fair offer
Omaha, NE → Davenport, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.2%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$522/yr.
79 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Davenport, IA is in the Davenport-Moline, IA-IL pay area; Omaha, NE is in Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA. The last column shows what a transfer from Davenport, IA to Omaha, NE at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Davenport, IA | Omaha, NE | Real change, Davenport → Omaha |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,708 | $62,339 | −3.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,871 | $75,425 | −3.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,937 | $90,402 | −3.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,137 | $107,501 | −3.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,786 | $127,033 | −3.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Davenport, IA | Omaha, NE | Omaha pay in Davenport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $62,670 | $60,739 (−1.5%) |
| Software Developers | $115,780 | $125,220 | $121,362 (+4.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,600 | $77,030 | $74,657 (−3.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,150 | $84,600 | $81,993 (+6.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.