City comparison
Davenport, IA is about 175 miles (275 km) from West Des Moines, IA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 200 miles, or about 3 h 30 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 Davenport, IA to West Des Moines, IA takes about 20 min, covering roughly 175 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 68,744 in West Des Moines — about 1.5× larger by population. By land area, Davenport covers about 64 sq mi vs 47 sq mi for West Des Moines.
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 | Davenport | West Des Moines | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $890/mo | $1,153/mo | 29.6% higher in West Des Moines |
| Median home value | $155,100 | $266,700 | 72.0% higher in West Des Moines |
| Median household income | $59,890 | $82,345 | 37.5% higher in West Des Moines |
| Groceries index | 94.4 | 94.0 | ≈ equal (Davenport slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 90.1 | 85.2 | 5.7% higher in Davenport |
| Transportation index | 93.8 | 93.3 | 0.6% higher in Davenport |
| Healthcare index | 94.0 | 93.5 | 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 Davenport, you'd need $107,744 in West Des Moines to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Davenport, IA is about 7.2% cheaper overall than West Des Moines, IA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 25% higher in West Des Moines than in Davenport. If you earn $80,000 in Davenport, you'd need about $86,195 in West Des Moines to keep the same standard of living.