- Sep 13, 2002
- 97,958
- 204,329
- 113
Top 50 out of 150 metro areas in the U.S.? Yeah, not seeing it. I'd put it somewhere in the middle - probably 70-80ish.
(November 26, 2024) The City of Davenport ranked among the top 50 best places to live in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report. For the 2025-2026 Best Places to Live rankings, U.S. News & World Report selected 150 major cities to find the best places to live. To make the top of the list, a place had to have good value, be a desirable place to live, have a strong job market, and a high quality of life. Davenport ranked #43. Naples, Florida earned the top spot.
The article described what it’s like to live in the City of Davenport and the greater Quad Cities area, noting each city is different, but because of collaborations across business, service and the arts, the area offers many of the amenities of a larger city.
“Our downtown is thriving, our neighborhoods are growing, and even more great things are in the works for our entire region,” said Davenport Mayor Mike Matson. “We want more people to discover all there is to love about living in the Quad Cities.”
In the article’s rankings, Davenport scored major points for low cost of living. Both Iowa and Illinois home prices are lower than the national average, and home prices in Davenport are lower than the state average. The article said Davenport offers a better value than similarly sized cities when comparing housing costs to median household income. That overall value score earned Davenport the #5 spot on the Cheapest Places to Live list.
Commute times are also generally shorter, nine minutes less than the national average. The article noted the healthy job market in Davenport and the Quad Cities, as compared to similarly sized metro areas. The local unemployment rate of 5% also aligns with the national statistics.
Some local favorites also got mentions in the article, including the Adler Theatre, the Figge Art Museum, the Putnam Museum and Science Center, the Quad City Times Bix 7 and the Quad Cities River Bandits.
(November 26, 2024) The City of Davenport ranked among the top 50 best places to live in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report. For the 2025-2026 Best Places to Live rankings, U.S. News & World Report selected 150 major cities to find the best places to live. To make the top of the list, a place had to have good value, be a desirable place to live, have a strong job market, and a high quality of life. Davenport ranked #43. Naples, Florida earned the top spot.
The article described what it’s like to live in the City of Davenport and the greater Quad Cities area, noting each city is different, but because of collaborations across business, service and the arts, the area offers many of the amenities of a larger city.
“Our downtown is thriving, our neighborhoods are growing, and even more great things are in the works for our entire region,” said Davenport Mayor Mike Matson. “We want more people to discover all there is to love about living in the Quad Cities.”
In the article’s rankings, Davenport scored major points for low cost of living. Both Iowa and Illinois home prices are lower than the national average, and home prices in Davenport are lower than the state average. The article said Davenport offers a better value than similarly sized cities when comparing housing costs to median household income. That overall value score earned Davenport the #5 spot on the Cheapest Places to Live list.
Commute times are also generally shorter, nine minutes less than the national average. The article noted the healthy job market in Davenport and the Quad Cities, as compared to similarly sized metro areas. The local unemployment rate of 5% also aligns with the national statistics.
Some local favorites also got mentions in the article, including the Adler Theatre, the Figge Art Museum, the Putnam Museum and Science Center, the Quad City Times Bix 7 and the Quad Cities River Bandits.
