Iowa · 148th largest metro area

Buying a home in Davenport, Iowa

In Davenport, the median value of owner-occupied homes is $166,400, Scott County's effective property tax rate is 1.47%, a purchase mortgage carried a median $2,727 in total loan costs in 2025, and median gross rent is $978 a month.

Data as of : Census ACS 2020-2024, Census Vintage 2024, HMDA 2025, HUD FY 2027. Sources

Davenport home costs, fact by fact

About Davenport

Davenport is a city of 100,938 residents in the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL metro area, which ranks 148th in the nation. Median gross rent is $978 per month, and 62.9% of homes are owner-occupied.

Reading the Davenport figures

Davenport has the lowest home value of the three Iowa cities covered here. Owners estimate the median home at $166,400. Cedar Rapids is higher, at $187,100, and so is Des Moines, at $194,700, while the statewide figure is $237,000.

Rent sits in the middle. Median rent is $978, close to the $967 in Cedar Rapids and under the $1,090 in Des Moines. For the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island zone HUD shows $1,056, so the benchmark runs above the city's median rent. Owners hold 62.9% of homes, which is below Cedar Rapids but above Des Moines.

Scott County's property tax is moderate by Iowa standards in this comparison. The effective rate is 1.47% and the median annual bill is $3,273 given a county median of $222,000. Loan costs are the part to watch. The 2025 median came to $2,727 over 1,975 loans, but typical quotes ran from $2,086 up to $5,037. Shopping among lenders may matter more for a buyer here than the tax rate or the price comparison with Cedar Rapids and Des Moines.

Calculate for Iowa

If you buy

Iowa state transfer tax

Real estate transfer tax (Iowa Code chapter 428A): $0.80 for each $500, or fraction of $500, above the first $500 (about $1.60 per $1,000).

Price$237,000
State transfer taxnot computed
Who paysThe seller

Default price: the Iowa median value of owner-occupied homes, $237,000 (Census ACS 2025). Not computed: Tax = $0.80 x number of $500 blocks (a fraction counts as a full block) in the price above the first $500. Example: $300,000 gives 599 blocks x $0.80 = $479.20. Personal property stated on the deed is deducted first. Consideration of $500 or less is exempt. Who pays: By statute the person who conveys the property, normally the seller, is liable (428A.3); the contract can allocate it differently. Not included: county and city transfer taxes, recording fees, title insurance and lender charges. Iowa transfer tax guide · all 50 states.

If you sell

Capital gain and the federal tax on it

Same federal rule in every state: Section 121 of the Internal Revenue Code excludes up to $250,000 of gain on a main home ($500,000 for a married couple filing jointly).

Capital gain$350,000
Section 121 exclusion$250,000 (limit $250,000)
Taxable gain$100,000
Type of gainLong-term (owned over 1 year), 15% chosen
Federal tax on the gain$15,000

Section 121 excludes $250,000; the rest is taxable.

Gain = sale price minus your adjusted basis (purchase price, buying costs and improvements); selling expenses reduce it (IRS Publication 523). Long-term rates for sales in 2026, by taxable income including the gain (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, section 4.03): 0% up to $49,450 single or $98,900 married filing jointly, 15% up to $545,500 single or $613,700 jointly, 20% above. Not included: Iowa state income tax on the gain (not computed), the net investment income tax, depreciation recapture on a rental or home office, and the reduced exclusion for an early sale. Agent commissions are negotiated and never set by law. Capital gains on a home sale.

Questions about buying a home in Davenport

How much is property tax in Davenport?

Homeowners in Scott County pay a median $3,273 a year in property tax, 1.47% of the county median home value of $222,000 (Census ACS 2020-2024). Your bill depends on your assessed value and local rates.

What are closing costs on a mortgage in Davenport?

Home-purchase mortgages in Scott County carried median total loan costs of $2,727 in 2025; half of the 1,975 loans fell between $2,086 and $5,037 (HMDA). Total loan costs are the lender and settlement-service charges of the Closing Disclosure; transfer taxes and prepaid items come on top.

Is there a transfer tax when you buy a home in Davenport?

Iowa taxes real estate transfers at $0.80 for each $500 of price above the first $500, or $1.60 per $1,000, which is $479.20 on a $300,000 home. By law the seller, as the person conveying, is liable.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Davenport?

It depends on your mortgage rate, down payment and how long you stay. As a benchmark, the median value of owner-occupied homes in Davenport ($166,400) equals 14.2 years of the median gross rent ($978 a month), both from Census ACS 2020-2024.

Run your own numbers: rent vs buy calculator · closing costs calculator.

Iowa rules that apply in Davenport

Other large cities in Iowa

Who licenses each trade in Iowa · All covered cities

Sources

Iowa · All states · Federal guides