City comparison
Davenport, IA vs Palm Bay, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Palm Bay, FL are 12.3% higher than in Davenport, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Davenport, IA would need about $112,300 in Palm Bay, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,478 a month in Palm Bay, FL versus $928 in Davenport, IA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Palm Bay, FL and 15% in Davenport, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,148 a year higher in Davenport, IA than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.8% moving from Davenport, IA to Palm Bay, FL ($108,137 → $107,228), while prices change by +12.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.7% in real buying power.
- Davenport, IA: price level 89.1 (much cheaper)
- Palm Bay, FL: price level 100.0 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Davenport, IA | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.1 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,266 in Palm Bay | $89,075 in Davenport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $928/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,550 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Davenport-Moline, IA-IL | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL MSA and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Davenport | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.3 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 94.2 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 89.9 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 93.5 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 89.1 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Davenport, IA → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.9%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,148/yr.
38 Weak offer
Palm Bay, FL → Davenport, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$3,148/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Davenport, IA is in the Davenport-Moline, IA-IL pay area; Palm Bay, FL is in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Davenport, IA to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Davenport, IA | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Davenport → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,708 | $62,181 | −11.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,871 | $75,233 | −11.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,937 | $90,173 | −11.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,137 | $107,228 | −11.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,786 | $126,711 | −11.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Davenport, IA | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Davenport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $62,510 | $55,680 (−9.7%) |
| Software Developers | $115,780 | $131,760 | $117,365 (+1.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,600 | $75,860 | $67,572 (−12.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,150 | $80,900 | $72,061 (−6.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.