City comparison
Austin, TX vs Riverside, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Riverside, CA are 8.5% higher than in Austin, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Austin, TX would need about $108,500 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 $1,562 in Austin, TX. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 24% in Austin, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Riverside, CA than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +13.4% moving from Austin, TX to Riverside, CA ($109,428 → $124,085), while prices change by +8.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.5% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (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
| Austin, TX | Riverside, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 106.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,541 in Riverside | $92,131 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $1,777/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 29% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $48,400 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 129.3 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 101.4 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 101.3 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 106.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Riverside, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.9%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
38 Weak offer
Riverside, CA → Austin, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.5%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
95 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Riverside, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Riverside, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Riverside, CA | Real change, Austin → Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $71,957 | +4.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $87,061 | +4.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $104,349 | +4.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $124,085 | +4.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $146,632 | +4.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Riverside, CA | Riverside pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $98,520 | $90,767 (+48.1%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $133,270 | $122,783 (−8.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $83,920 | $77,316 (−7.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $133,940 | $123,400 (+26.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.