City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Riverside, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Riverside, CA are 6.4% higher than in Atlanta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlanta, GA would need about $106,400 in Riverside, CA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,777 a month in Riverside, CA versus $1,660 in Atlanta, GA. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 27% in Atlanta, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $503 a year higher in Riverside, CA than in Atlanta, GA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.2% moving from Atlanta, GA to Riverside, CA ($112,556 → $124,085), while prices change by +6.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.6% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- 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
| Atlanta, GA | Riverside, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 106.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,380 in Riverside | $94,002 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,777/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 29% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $48,400 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 129.3 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 101.4 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 101.3 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 106.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Riverside, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.0%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$503/yr.
44 Weak offer
Riverside, CA → Atlanta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.4%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax −$503/yr.
86 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Riverside, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Riverside, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Riverside, CA | Real change, Atlanta → Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $71,957 | +3.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $87,061 | +3.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $104,349 | +3.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $124,085 | +3.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $146,632 | +3.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Riverside, CA | Riverside pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $98,520 | $92,611 (+20.9%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $133,270 | $125,277 (−5.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $83,920 | $78,887 (−8.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $133,940 | $125,907 (+25.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.