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Cost of Living: Davenport, IA vs Los Angeles, CA

Wondering how far your dollar stretches in Davenport compared to Los Angeles? Below we break down housing costs, rent, taxes, income, and quality of life using 2026 data so you can make an informed relocation or remote-work decision. Every number is computed from Census, BLS, and Zillow data specific to these two metro areas.

TL;DR

Davenport cost-of-living index is 84 vs 173 for Los Angeles (US = 100). Median home: $165,000 vs $860,000. Median rent: $850/mo vs $2,050/mo.

Source: Census ACS · Zillow ZHVI/ZORI · BEA RPP, 2026

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Los Angeles is 106.0% more expensive than Davenport
COL Index: Davenport 84 vs Los Angeles 173 (national avg = 100)
Written by Jere Salmisto, Founder & Quantitative Systems Builder, CalcFi·Reviewed by CalcFi Editorial·Last reviewed 2026-04-19

Davenport vs Los Angeles — At a Glance

DavenportMetricLos AngelesDifference
84Cost of Living Index173+106.0%
$165,000Median Home Price$860,000+421.2%
$850Median Monthly Rent$2,050+141.2%
$52,500Median Household Income$76,000+44.8%
1.8%Property Tax Rate0.7%-59.4%
4.0%Unemployment Rate5.3%+32.5%
20 minAverage Commute32 min+60.0%
36.8Median Age36.4-1.1%
385,000Metro Population13,200,000+3328.6%

Data sourced from Census Bureau, BLS, Zillow, and ApartmentAdvisor (2024-2025). COL Index: 100 = national average.

Housing Comparison: Davenport vs Los Angeles

Monthly mortgage assumes 6.5% interest, 30-year fixed, 20.0%down payment. PITI includes principal, interest, property tax, and homeowner's insurance.

Davenport

Median Home Price$165,000
Down Payment (20.0%)$33,000
Loan Amount$132,000
Principal & Interest$834/mo
Property Tax$248/mo
Insurance$48/mo
Monthly PITI$1,130/mo

Los Angeles

Median Home Price$860,000
Down Payment (20.0%)$172,000
Loan Amount$688,000
Principal & Interest$4,349/mo
Property Tax$523/mo
Insurance$251/mo
Monthly PITI$5,123/mo

Rent & Affordability Ratios

Median Monthly Rent$850 vs $2,050 (+$1,200/mo)
Annual Rent Difference$14,400/yr more in Los Angeles
Home Price-to-Income Ratio3.1x (Davenport) vs 11.3x (Los Angeles)
Years to Save 20% Down (15% savings rate)4.2 yrs (Davenport) vs 15.1 yrs (Los Angeles)

Buying a home in Davenport costs $1,130/month (PITI) compared to $5,123/month in Los Angeles — a difference of $3,993/month or $47,916/year. The price-to-income ratio is 3.1x in Davenport versus 11.3x in Los Angeles, suggesting Davenport is relatively more affordable for homebuyers relative to local incomes. At a 15% savings rate, it takes 4.2 years to save a down payment in Davenport compared to 15.1 years in Los Angeles.

Tax Comparison: Davenport vs Los Angeles

Estimated on each city's median household income, single filer, standard deduction, 2025 rates.

Tax CategoryDavenportLos Angeles
Gross Income$52,500$76,000
State Income Tax$1,995$3,097
Federal Income Tax$4,171$8,169
FICA (SS + Medicare)$4,016$5,814
Property Tax (on median home)$2,970/yr$6,278/yr
State Sales Tax Rate6.0%7.2%
Total Tax Burden$10,182 (19.4%)$17,080 (22.5%)
Take-Home Pay$42,318$58,920

On median household income, total taxes (federal + state + FICA) come to $10,182 in Davenport (19.4% effective) versus $17,080 in Los Angeles (22.5% effective). After taxes, take-home pay is $42,318 in Davenport and $58,920 in Los Angeles. Property taxes add $2,970/year on the median Davenport home versus $6,278/year in Los Angeles.

Salary Equivalence: What Your Income Is Worth

A $52,500 salary in Davenport equals
$108,125
in Los Angeles
A $76,000 salary in Los Angeles equals
$36,902
in Davenport

These figures adjust for cost of living using the formula: adjusted = salary × (COL_destination / COL_origin). If you earn $52,500 in Davenport (COL 84) and relocate to Los Angeles (COL 173), you would need $108,125 to maintain the same purchasing power. This means you would need a raise of $55,625 to maintain the same standard of living in Los Angeles.

Quality of Life: Davenport vs Los Angeles

Average Commute
20 min
Davenport
32 min
Los Angeles
12 min shorter in Davenport
Unemployment Rate
4.0%
Davenport
5.3%
Los Angeles
Davenport lower
Metro Population
0.4M
Davenport
13.2M
Los Angeles
Los Angeles is 34.3x larger

Beyond costs, quality of life matters. The average commute in Davenport is 20 minutes versus 32 minutes in Los Angeles, a difference of 12 minutes each way. Davenport's lower unemployment rate of 4.0% versus 5.3% suggests a stronger job market. Davenport skews slightly older with a median age of 36.8 vs 36.4 in Los Angeles.

Other Cost of Living Comparisons

Davenport vs New YorkCOL 84 vs 187Chicago vs DavenportCOL 114 vs 84Dallas vs DavenportCOL 105 vs 84Los Angeles vs New YorkCOL 173 vs 187Chicago vs Los AngelesCOL 114 vs 173Dallas vs Los AngelesCOL 105 vs 173

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Davenport or Los Angeles more expensive?

Los Angeles is 106.0% more expensive than Davenport overall. Los Angeles has a cost of living index of 173 compared to 84 for Davenport (national average = 100). The biggest difference is housing: the median home costs $860,000 in Los Angeles vs $165,000 in Davenport.

How much more does housing cost in Los Angeles vs Davenport?

The median home price in Los Angeles is $860,000, which is $695,000 more than Davenport's median of $165,000. Monthly rent follows a similar pattern: $2,050/month in Los Angeles vs $850/month in Davenport, a difference of $1,200/month or $14,400/year.

What salary do I need in Los Angeles to match my Davenport income?

To maintain the same standard of living, a $52,500 salary in Davenport is equivalent to $108,125 in Los Angeles. This is based on the cost of living index ratio: Davenport's COL index of 84 vs Los Angeles's 173. Conversely, $76,000 in Los Angeles equals $36,902 in Davenport.

Which city has lower taxes, Davenport or Los Angeles?

On a median household income, the combined federal, state, and FICA tax burden is $10,182 (19.4% effective rate) in Davenport vs $17,080 (22.5% effective rate) in Los Angeles. Property taxes on the median home are $2,970/year in Davenport (1.8% rate) vs $6,278/year in Los Angeles (0.7% rate). Sales tax rates are 6.0% in Iowa and 7.2% in California.

What is the median household income in Davenport and Los Angeles?

Davenport median household income: $52,500/yr. Los Angeles median household income: $76,000/yr (Census ACS).

How does rent compare in Davenport vs Los Angeles?

Median monthly rent: $850 in Davenport vs $2,050 in Los Angeles. Annualized that is $10,200 vs $24,600.

Which city is better for remote workers, Davenport or Los Angeles?

Davenport offers a lower cost of living (index 84 vs 173), which lets remote-workers keeping a coastal salary stretch further. Los Angeles typically wins on amenities and labor-market depth.

Where does the data on this comparison come from?

Davenport and Los Angeles numbers are pulled from Zillow ZHVI/ZORI (home values, rent), the U.S. Census Bureau ACS (income, demographics), and BEA RPP (cost-of-living index). Each value is timestamped on the page.

How often is this Davenport vs Los Angeles comparison updated?

Source feeds (Zillow, Freddie Mac PMMS, Census ACS, BEA RPP) are refreshed on their native cadence. Page caches revalidate every 24 hours via Next.js ISR.

Does this comparison replace tax or financial advice?

No. The Davenport vs Los Angeles cost-of-living page is educational reference using public data and standard formulas. It is not personalized tax, legal, or investment advice. Consult a licensed professional for material decisions.

Explore More

All City ComparisonsDavenport COL CalculatorLos Angeles COL CalculatorSalary GuidesMortgage Affordability CalculatorRent vs Buy Calculator

Sources & Citations

  1. Zillow Research — ZHVI (home values) & ZORI (observed rent index) — zillow.com/research/data
  2. U.S. Census Bureau — American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates — census.gov/acs
  3. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities by state and MSA — bea.gov/rpp
  4. Tax Foundation — effective state and local tax rates — taxfoundation.org
  5. Freddie Mac PMMS — weekly national average mortgage rates — freddiemac.com/pmms
  6. Internal Revenue Service — federal income tax brackets and standard deduction — irs.gov
  7. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — unemployment and wage statistics — bls.gov
Methodology & Assumptions

Home prices use Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI)[1]; rents use Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI)[1]. Median household income comes from the Census ACS 5-year estimates[2].

COL indices use the BEA Regional Price Parity methodology[3], normalized so 100 = national average.

Property tax rates are effective rates from the Tax Foundation[4], expressed as % of owner-occupied home value. Mortgage estimates assume 6.5% fixed rate[5], 30-year term, 20.0% down, $1,800/yr homeowners insurance.

Federal tax calculations[6] assume single filer, standard deduction. State tax uses the top marginal rate times taxable income after the state standard deduction. FICA = 6.2% Social Security (up to wage base) + 1.45% Medicare.

Salary equivalence uses adjusted = salary × (COL_destination / COL_origin). This captures cost-of-living shift but not state income tax differences.

Unemployment figures are the most recent monthly MSA-level readings from the BLS LAUS series[7].

Last reviewed is computed from the maximum retrievedAt across every source this page consumes.

City data from Census Bureau[2], BLS[7], and Zillow[1] (2024-2025). Tax calculations use 2025 IRS rates[6], single filer, standard deduction. Mortgage estimates assume 6.5% PMMS rate[5], 30-year term, 20.0% down. COL Index: 100 = national average[3]. Last reviewed 2026-04-19.