City comparison
Davenport, IA vs Raleigh, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Raleigh, NC are 10.2% higher than in Davenport, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Davenport, IA would need about $110,200 in Raleigh, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,596 a month in Raleigh, NC versus $928 in Davenport, IA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Raleigh, NC and 15% in Davenport, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $333 a year higher in Raleigh, NC than in Davenport, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.8% moving from Davenport, IA to Raleigh, NC ($108,137 → $111,147), while prices change by +10.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.7% in real buying power.
- Davenport, IA: price level 89.1 (much cheaper)
- Raleigh, NC: price level 98.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Davenport, IA | Raleigh, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.1 | 98.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,191 in Raleigh | $90,752 in Davenport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $928/mo | $1,596/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,550 | $51,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Davenport-Moline, IA-IL | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC |
Rent areas: Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL MSA and Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA. Metro areas: Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL and Raleigh-Cary, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Davenport | Raleigh |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.3 | 103.5 |
| Goods | 94.2 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 89.9 | 89.0 |
| Other services | 93.5 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 89.1 | 98.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Davenport, IA → Raleigh, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$333/yr.
39 Weak offer
Raleigh, NC → Davenport, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.2%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$333/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Davenport, IA is in the Davenport-Moline, IA-IL pay area; Raleigh, NC is in Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Davenport, IA to Raleigh, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Davenport, IA | Raleigh, NC | Real change, Davenport → Raleigh |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,708 | $64,453 | −6.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,871 | $77,983 | −6.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,937 | $93,468 | −6.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,137 | $111,147 | −6.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,786 | $131,342 | −6.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Davenport, IA | Raleigh, NC | Raleigh pay in Davenport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $60,170 | $54,605 (−11.4%) |
| Software Developers | $115,780 | $132,770 | $120,491 (+4.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,600 | $81,950 | $74,371 (−4.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,150 | $84,830 | $76,985 (−0.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.