City comparison
Davenport, IA vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in St. Louis, MO are 6.7% higher than in Davenport, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Davenport, IA would need about $106,700 in St. Louis, MO to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $995 a month in St. Louis, MO versus $928 in Davenport, IA. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in St. Louis, MO and 15% in Davenport, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $614 a year higher in St. Louis, MO than in Davenport, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.9% moving from Davenport, IA to St. Louis, MO ($108,137 → $109,137), while prices change by +6.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.5% in real buying power.
- Davenport, IA: price level 89.1 (much cheaper)
- St. Louis, MO: price level 95.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Davenport, IA | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.1 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,746 in St. Louis | $93,681 in Davenport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $928/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,550 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Davenport-Moline, IA-IL | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL MSA and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Davenport | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.3 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 94.2 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 89.9 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 93.5 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 89.1 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Davenport, IA → St. Louis, MO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.3%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$614/yr.
49 Fair offer
St. Louis, MO → Davenport, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.7%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$614/yr.
90 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Davenport, IA is in the Davenport-Moline, IA-IL pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Davenport, IA to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Davenport, IA | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Davenport → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,708 | $63,288 | −5.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,871 | $76,573 | −5.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,937 | $91,779 | −5.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,137 | $109,137 | −5.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,786 | $128,967 | −5.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Davenport, IA | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Davenport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $60,650 | $56,817 (−7.8%) |
| Software Developers | $115,780 | $129,030 | $120,876 (+4.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,600 | $78,880 | $73,895 (−4.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,150 | $83,180 | $77,924 (+1.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.