City comparison
Davenport, IA vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 24.8% higher than in Davenport, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Davenport, IA would need about $124,800 in Seattle, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,146 a month in Seattle, WA versus $928 in Davenport, IA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 15% in Davenport, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,148 a year higher in Davenport, IA than in Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.6% moving from Davenport, IA to Seattle, WA ($108,137 → $119,630), while prices change by +24.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.3% in real buying power.
- Davenport, IA: price level 89.1 (much cheaper)
- Seattle, WA: price level 111.1 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Davenport, IA | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.1 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $124,758 in Seattle | $80,155 in Davenport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $928/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,550 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Davenport-Moline, IA-IL | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL MSA and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Davenport | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.3 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 94.2 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 89.9 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 93.5 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 89.1 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Davenport, IA → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −19.8%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$3,148/yr.
26 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Davenport, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +24.8%; 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; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Davenport, IA to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Davenport, IA | Seattle, WA | Real change, Davenport → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,708 | $69,373 | −11.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,871 | $83,935 | −11.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,937 | $100,602 | −11.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,137 | $119,630 | −11.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,786 | $141,367 | −11.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Davenport, IA | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Davenport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $102,920 | $82,496 (+33.8%) |
| Software Developers | $115,780 | $167,280 | $134,084 (+15.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,600 | $99,370 | $79,650 (+2.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,150 | $128,260 | $102,807 (+33.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.