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CityLedger

Davenport vs Duluth

Metro-area medians — Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL Metro Area vs Duluth, MN-WI Metro Area — not the cities proper.

Davenport comes out ahead, winning 4 of the 5 clearly-decided measures.

Davenport and Duluth cost about the same to live in, but Davenport households earn about 3% more. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches about as far in either.

For your salary & household

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Davenport, IA
$58,464
take-home / yr · 22% to tax
$65,631
real value after local prices
Duluth, MN
$57,702
take-home / yr · 23% to tax
$65,004
real value after local prices

On $75,000 for just you, Davenport leaves you about $628/yr better off after tax and local prices.

Take-home estimates a single filer taking the standard deduction (2025 federal brackets, FICA, and state income tax) and isn't tax advice. “Real value” rebases take-home to average U.S. prices using the BEA cost-of-living index; the per-person figure uses the OECD square-root equivalence scale.

Measure
Davenport
Duluth
Livability (CityLedger)
56/100
50/100
Cost of living (price level, US = 100)
89.1
88.8
Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
$80,205
$78,079
Median household income
$71,446
$69,309
Median rent
$971/mo
$993/mo
Median home value
$182,100
$248,600
Unemployment
3%
4.6%
Bachelor's degree or higher
31.4%
32%
Average commute
21.2 min
20.7 min
Air quality (median AQI)
46
39
Avg temperature
51°F
37°F

Choose Davenport for

  • + Livability (CityLedger)
  • + Median household income
  • + Median home value
  • + Unemployment
Full Davenport profile →

Choose Duluth for

  • + Air quality (median AQI)
Full Duluth profile →

Davenport vs Duluth — frequently asked

Is Davenport cheaper than Duluth?
They are about even — the overall cost of living in the Davenport and Duluth metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.
Which has higher household income, Davenport or Duluth?
Davenport has the higher median household income — $71,446 versus $69,309 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 3% more.
Does a paycheck go further in Davenport or Duluth?
It is roughly a wash. After adjusting income for local prices, a typical paycheck is worth about the same in both metros ($80,205 versus $78,079).
Which has cheaper rent, Davenport or Duluth?
Rents are close — $971/mo in the Davenport metro versus $993/mo in Duluth (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).