What it's like to live in Davenport
Davenport is a mid-size city in Iowa with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, commutes that run shorter than most cities, and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Davenport deals with household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and cold, harsh winters.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Short commutes
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Air quality concerns
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 36" per year
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Davenport compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Davenport
Based on Davenport's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,956
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $39,120 a year
- 46% of Davenport renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$33,280
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $16,640
- Homes cost 2.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 31% below US
$978/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $978 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $166,400. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $166,400 · 46% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.7% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.7%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 98% above US
652 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is a real factor here, with violent rates significantly above the national average. That doesn't make the whole city a write-off, but it does mean specific neighborhoods deserve real research before signing a lease.
Property crime 3177/100k · Davenport Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 25% below US
19 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 19.4 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 10% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 83°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 17°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 2.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 17% below US
30% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 30%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
23 public schools inside the boundary
There are 23 public schools inside the boundary and 5 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Herbert Hoover National Historic Site (39 miles away).
Bottom line
Davenport's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and crime rates above the national average. A year of median rent ($978/mo) equals 18% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive and anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near Davenport
All Iowa guides →Moving to Bettendorf →
7 mi away · pop. 39,647
Rent $1,187/mo · Income $100,495
Compare with Davenport →Moving to Iowa City →
48 mi away · pop. 75,752
Rent $1,094/mo · Income $58,546
Compare with Davenport →Not sure Davenport is the one?
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