Davenport, IA — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Iowa·Davenport

Scott County · Davenport-Moline-Rock Island · population 100,938

Affordability
Davenport, IA
Image: Wikipedia · Davenport, Iowa
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
62
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Davenport stands

At or near all-time high.

Median home $191,117
1-year +2.1%
5-yr CAGR +3.7%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population -0.2%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$191k$118k$145k$172k$199k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
40/100
Car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
30/100
Minimal transit
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
82/100
Excellent for remote work
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$952/mo$721$865$1,009202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent120124100120202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 16.7
Lean buy

At a 16.7 price-to-rent ratio, Davenport is in the 'depends on horizon' zone. Buy if you'll be there 5+ years and value flexibility on the home; rent if you might move, want zero maintenance friction, or expect rates to drop.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
60 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
57 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
42 · w16%
Rent YoY
64 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
55 · w10%
Long thesis

Davenport offers a $191,117 median home with +3.7% annualized 5-year appreciation. Affordability + positive trend is one of the better risk/reward setups in US residential — small downside, room to compound.

Short thesis

Davenport's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Davenport

Davenport is a city in Scott County, Iowa, with an estimated population of 100,938. It anchors the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island metro area. The median home value in Davenport is $191,117 as of 2026-04, up 2.1% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +3.7% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Davenport average $952 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+2.9%). The composite momentum score is 62 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Affordable AND rising: median home $191,117 with positive recent direction — rare combination most of the country can’t offer.
●Quiet strength: +2.1% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Davenport (Wikipedia)

Davenport is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States, and the county seat. The population was 101,724 at the 2020 census, and was estimated at 100,938 in 2024, making it the third-most populous city in Iowa, after Des Moines and Cedar Rapids. It is situated along the Mississippi River on the eastern border of the state. Together with Bettendorf, Iowa; Rock Island, Illinois; Moline, Illinois; and East Moline, Illinois, Davenport is one of the five Quad Cities in Iowa and Illinois. It is the largest city in the Quad Cities area, which has a metropolitan area population of 384,324 and a Combined statistical area population of 474,019 in the 2020 census.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

MayorJason Gordon
Area66.333 sq mi
Elevation656 ft
SettledMay 14, 1836
NicknameThe Most Livable Small City in America
Densityauto/sq mi
Named forGeorge Davenport

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Things to see in Davenport(Landmarks)

  • The Redstone Building
  • Von Maur
  • River Music Experience
  • Putnam Museum
  • Davenport Public Library
  • Davenport Skybridge
  • Figge Art Museum
  • RiverCenter/Adler Theater
  • Modern Woodmen Park
  • Quad City River Bandits
  • Centennial Bridge
  • Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Freight House

+12 more on Wikipedia.

Extracted from the Wikipedia article. Names linked in the source — open the city’s Wikipedia page for details.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Scott County right now.

NWS active alerts (IA)Iowa Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Scott County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Davenport

6 tracked · ranked by median home value
1McClellan Heights$327,911+3.7%
2Bridge Avenue$116,705+2.4%
3Village of East Davenport$114,489+9.0%
4East Fourteenth Street$104,309-3.8%
5Hamburg$100,727+5.1%
6Cork Hill$98,353+0.1%

Cities like Davenport

Cedar Rapids, IA67 · RisingAmes, IA66 · RisingClinton, IA60 · StableSioux City, IA68 · Rising

Run the numbers for Davenport

ToolCan I afford Davenport?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Davenport rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Davenport to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolDavenport cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
28° / 11°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
84° / 64°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
200
~55% of year
Annual precip
36″ rain
30″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
High
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
Very low
Flood
High

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Davenport listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
72%
Humid climate
Median household income
$70,500
Iowa state median
Top industries (state-level)
InsuranceManufacturingAgriculture

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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