Davenport vs Des Moines
The short version
- Davenport is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 3% lower than in the Des Moines area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $166,400 in Davenport and $194,700 in Des Moines.
Side by side
| Davenport, IA | Des Moines, IA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 100,358 | 212,086 |
| Growth since 2020 | -1.3% | -0.9% |
| People per square mile | 1,563 | 2,406 |
| Median age | 37.5 | 34.6 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30% | 30% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $66,200 | $65,932 |
| Median home value | $166,400 | $194,700 |
| Home value to income | 2.5× | 3.0× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $978 | $1,090 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 89.1 | 91.7 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 68.3 | 84.7 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $66,800 | $68,800 |
| Homeowners | 63% | 61% |
| Top state income tax | 3.8% | 3.8% |
| Combined sales tax | 6.94% | 6.94% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 19.4 | 19.5 |
| Work from home | 10% | 13% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 4.6% | 5.6% |
| Poverty rate | 15.2% | 15% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 32° / 15° | 31° / 14° |
| July high / low | 86° / 65° | 86° / 66° |
| Precipitation per year | 38 in | 37 in |
| Snowfall per year | 36 in | 37 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 22 | 22 |
| Nights below freezing | 129 | 128 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 4 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 84.9 | 92.0 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 57% | 61% |
| Home prices, past year | +4.1% | +2.3% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +36% | +35.2% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Davenport: August to October. Des Moines: July to October.
Full monthly tables: Davenport weather by month and Des Moines weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $66,800 in Davenport and $68,800 in Des Moines. Moving from Davenport to Des Moines, you would need about $77,200 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Davenport and Des Moines
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Davenport and Des Moines.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.