Is it cheaper to live in Davenport or Missoula?

Davenport, IA is cheaper. Its monthly baseline of $960 (1BR rent + utilities) runs about 13% below Missoula, MT's $1,100, mainly because of rent.

How much more do you need to earn to live in Davenport than in Missoula?

To keep rent near the recommended 30% of gross income, you'd want to earn roughly $31,000 a year in Davenport versus $38,000 in Missoula.

Which has lower taxes, Davenport or Missoula?

Davenport is taxed under Iowa's rules (a top state income tax rate of 3.80% and a 6% state sales tax); Missoula under Montana's (a top state income tax rate of 5.65% and no state sales tax).

Davenport vs Missoula Cost of Living 2026

Davenport

Iowa

$960/mo est.

Missoula

Montana

$1,100/mo est.

Monthly estimate = 1BR rent + electricity + gas

A one-person monthly baseline (1BR rent plus typical utilities) runs $960 in Davenport, IA versus $1,100 in Missoula, MT. Overall, Davenport, IA is roughly 13% cheaper to live in day-to-day than Missoula, MT, driven mainly by rent.

Median household income is $64,497 in Davenport, IA and $65,329 in Missoula, MT — about 1% higher in Missoula, MT. Iowa has a top state income tax rate of 3.80% and a 6% state sales tax; Montana has a top state income tax rate of 5.65% and no state sales tax.

Davenport, IA

Missoula, MT

Rent

Studio

$726

$755

+4% in Missoula, MT

1 Bedroom

$777

$953

+23% in Missoula, MT

2 Bedroom

$962

$1,176

+22% in Missoula, MT

3 Bedroom

$1,117

$1,676

+50% in Missoula, MT

Buying a Home

Median Home Value

$162,900

$427,400

+162% in Missoula, MT

Income

Median Household Income

$64,497

$65,329

+1% in Missoula, MT

Metro Median Wage (annual)

$48,550

$47,830

+1% in Davenport, IA

People & Lifestyle

Median Age

37.8 yr

34.3 yr

+3.5 yr in Davenport, IA

Homeownership

63.0%

47.8%

+15.2 pp in Davenport, IA

Bachelor's+ (25+)

30.0%

51.7%

+21.7 pp in Missoula, MT

Avg Commute

18.7 min

16.6 min

+2.1 min in Davenport, IA

Crime (per 100k/yr)

Violent Crime

581.4

601.9

+4% in Missoula, MT

Property Crime

3,559.6

3,685.2

+4% in Missoula, MT

FBI Crime Data Explorer. Offenses per 100,000 residents per year; agency reporting practices vary, so this is approximate.

Climate

Avg Annual Temperature

49.3°F

45.9°F

+3.4°F in Davenport, IA

Annual Precipitation

36.0 in

14.1 in

+21.9 in in Davenport, IA

Gas

Regular Gasoline

$3.85/gal

$4.27/gal

+11% in Missoula, MT

Area: Midwest (PADD 2) vs Rocky Mountain (PADD 4).

Utilities

Electricity (¢/kWh)

15.9

15.1

+5% in Davenport, IA

Natural Gas ($/MCF)

$22.16

$10.12

+54% in Davenport, IA

Residential, state-level averages (EIA). MCF = 1,000 cubic feet.

Groceries

Milk (gal)

$4.31

$4.82

+12% in Missoula, MT

Bread (lb)

$1.66

$2.04

+23% in Missoula, MT

Eggs (doz)

$3.63

$2.19

+40% in Davenport, IA

Ground Beef (lb)

$6.77

$7.36

+9% in Missoula, MT

Chicken (lb)

$2.10

$2.01

+4% in Davenport, IA

Bananas (lb)

$0.62

$0.70

+14% in Missoula, MT

Average prices — Midwest vs West (BLS). Regional where available, otherwise U.S. average.

State Taxes

Sales Tax (IA / MT)

None

+6.0 pp in IA

Income Tax (top rate)

3.80%

5.65%

+1.9 pp in MT

Davenport vs Missoula — FAQ

Is it cheaper to live in Davenport or Missoula?: Davenport, IA is cheaper. Its monthly baseline of $960 (1BR rent + utilities) runs about 13% below Missoula, MT's $1,100, mainly because of rent.
How much more do you need to earn to live in Davenport than in Missoula?: To keep rent near the recommended 30% of gross income, you'd want to earn roughly $31,000 a year in Davenport versus $38,000 in Missoula.
Which has lower taxes, Davenport or Missoula?: Davenport is taxed under Iowa's rules (a top state income tax rate of 3.80% and a 6% state sales tax); Missoula under Montana's (a top state income tax rate of 5.65% and no state sales tax).

Sources: US Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year (rent, income, home value, demographics); NOAA Climate Normals 1981–2010 (climate); EIA weekly retail (gas); Tax Foundation 2026 (state taxes).