Davenport vs Iowa City
The short version
- Davenport is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 3% lower than in the Iowa City area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $166,400 in Davenport and $285,900 in Iowa City.
- Households earn more in Davenport ($66,200 vs $58,546 median).
- Davenport gets far more snow: 36 inches a year vs 28.
- Iowa City is growing faster: +1.9% since 2020 vs -1.3%.
Side by side
| Davenport, IA | Iowa City, IA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 100,358 | 76,229 |
| Growth since 2020 | -1.3% | +1.9% |
| People per square mile | 1,563 | 2,959 |
| Median age | 37.5 | 26.2 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30% | 61% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $66,200 | $58,546 |
| Median home value | $166,400 | $285,900 |
| Home value to income | 2.5× | 4.9× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $978 | $1,094 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 89.1 | 91.5 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 68.3 | 84.0 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $66,800 | $68,600 |
| Homeowners | 63% | 47% |
| Top state income tax | 3.8% | 3.8% |
| Combined sales tax | 6.94% | 6.94% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 19.4 | 17.3 |
| Work from home | 10% | 12% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 6% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 4.6% | 4.6% |
| Poverty rate | 15.2% | 26.3% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 32° / 15° | 31° / 15° |
| July high / low | 86° / 65° | 86° / 66° |
| Precipitation per year | 38 in | 36 in |
| Snowfall per year | 36 in | 28 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 22 | 19 |
| Nights below freezing | 129 | 135 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 84.9 | 87.4 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 57% | 70% |
| Home prices, past year | +4.1% | +3% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +36% | +33.9% |
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. Iowa City: May and July to October.
Full monthly tables: Davenport weather by month and Iowa City 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 $68,600 in Iowa City. Moving from Davenport to Iowa City, you would need about $77,000 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Davenport and Iowa City
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 Iowa City.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.