City comparison
Davenport, IA vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Antonio, TX are 6.3% higher than in Davenport, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Davenport, IA would need about $106,300 in San Antonio, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,177 a month in San Antonio, TX versus $928 in Davenport, IA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in San Antonio, TX and 15% in Davenport, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,148 a year higher in Davenport, IA than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.1% moving from Davenport, IA to San Antonio, TX ($108,137 → $108,001), while prices change by +6.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.1% in real buying power.
- Davenport, IA: price level 89.1 (much cheaper)
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Davenport, IA | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.1 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,328 in San Antonio | $94,049 in Davenport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $928/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,550 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Davenport-Moline, IA-IL | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL MSA and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Davenport | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.3 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 94.2 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 89.9 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 93.5 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 89.1 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Davenport, IA → San Antonio, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,148/yr.
50 Fair offer
San Antonio, TX → Davenport, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$3,148/yr.
89 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Davenport, IA is in the Davenport-Moline, IA-IL pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Davenport, IA to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Davenport, IA | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Davenport → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,708 | $62,629 | −6.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,871 | $75,776 | −6.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,937 | $90,823 | −6.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,137 | $108,001 | −6.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,786 | $127,624 | −6.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Davenport, IA | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Davenport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $61,720 | $58,047 (−5.8%) |
| Software Developers | $115,780 | $128,430 | $120,787 (+4.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,600 | $78,650 | $73,969 (−4.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,150 | $94,370 | $88,754 (+15.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.