City comparison
Ames, IA is about 150 miles (250 km) from Davenport, IA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 200 miles, or about 3 h 15 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Ames, IA to Davenport, IA takes about 19 min, covering roughly 150 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Davenport has a population of 101,448, vs 66,265 in Ames — about 1.5× larger by population. By land area, Davenport covers about 64 sq mi vs 28 sq mi for Ames.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Ames | Davenport | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,011/mo | $890/mo | 13.6% higher in Ames |
| Median home value | $247,500 | $155,100 | 59.6% higher in Ames |
| Median household income | $57,428 | $59,890 | 4.3% higher in Davenport |
| Groceries index | 94.0 | 94.4 | ≈ equal (Davenport slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 83.8 | 90.1 | 7.5% higher in Davenport |
| Transportation index | 93.3 | 93.8 | 0.6% higher in Davenport |
| Healthcare index | 93.5 | 94.0 | 0.6% higher in Davenport |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Ames, you'd need $100,169 in Davenport to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Ames and Davenport have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Ames, you'd need about $80,135 in Davenport to keep the same standard of living.