City comparison
Asheville, NC vs Riverside, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Riverside, CA are 10.3% higher than in Asheville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Asheville, NC would need about $110,300 in Riverside, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,777 a month in Riverside, CA versus $1,429 in Asheville, NC. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 23% in Asheville, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,589 a year higher in Riverside, CA than in Asheville, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from Asheville, NC to Riverside, CA ($106,437 → $124,085), while prices change by +10.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.7% in real buying power.
- Asheville, NC: price level 96.5 (cheaper)
- Riverside, CA: price level 106.4 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Asheville, NC | Riverside, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.5 | 106.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,296 in Riverside | $90,665 in Asheville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,429/mo | $1,777/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 29% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,870 | $48,400 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Asheville, NC MSA and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA. Metro areas: Asheville, NC and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Asheville | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.4 | 129.3 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 101.4 |
| Utilities | 88.6 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 101.3 |
| Overall | 96.5 | 106.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Asheville, NC → Riverside, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.3%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$1,589/yr.
34 Weak offer
Riverside, CA → Asheville, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.3%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,589/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Asheville, NC is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Riverside, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Asheville, NC to Riverside, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Asheville, NC | Riverside, CA | Real change, Asheville → Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,957 | +5.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $87,061 | +5.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $104,349 | +5.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $124,085 | +5.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $146,632 | +5.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Asheville, NC | Riverside, CA | Riverside pay in Asheville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,080 | $98,520 | $89,323 (+78.4%) |
| Software Developers | $134,350 | $133,270 | $120,830 (−10.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,400 | $83,920 | $76,086 (−5.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,590 | $133,940 | $121,437 (+48.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.