City comparison
Davenport, IA vs Reno, NV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reno, NV are 13.4% higher than in Davenport, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Davenport, IA would need about $113,400 in Reno, NV to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,489 a month in Reno, NV versus $928 in Davenport, IA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Reno, NV and 15% in Davenport, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,148 a year higher in Davenport, IA than in Reno, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.2% moving from Davenport, IA to Reno, NV ($108,137 → $106,855), while prices change by +13.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.9% in real buying power.
- Davenport, IA: price level 89.1 (much cheaper)
- Reno, NV: price level 101.0 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Davenport, IA | Reno, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.1 | 101.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,398 in Reno | $88,185 in Davenport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $928/mo | $1,489/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,550 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Davenport-Moline, IA-IL | Reno-Fernley, NV |
Rent areas: Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL MSA and Reno, NV HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL and Reno, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Davenport | Reno |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.3 | 123.5 |
| Goods | 94.2 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 89.9 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 93.5 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 89.1 | 101.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Davenport, IA → Reno, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.8%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$3,148/yr.
38 Weak offer
Reno, NV → Davenport, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.4%; 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; Reno, NV is in Reno-Fernley, NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Davenport, IA to Reno, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Davenport, IA | Reno, NV | Real change, Davenport → Reno |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,708 | $61,965 | −12.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,871 | $74,972 | −12.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,937 | $89,859 | −12.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,137 | $106,855 | −12.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,786 | $126,271 | −12.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Davenport, IA | Reno, NV | Reno pay in Davenport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $62,430 | $55,054 (−10.7%) |
| Software Developers | $115,780 | $125,710 | $110,857 (−4.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,600 | $82,370 | $72,638 (−6.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,150 | $107,520 | $94,816 (+22.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.