City comparison
Baltimore, MD vs Riverside, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Riverside, CA are 1.9% higher than in Baltimore, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Baltimore, MD would need about $101,900 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 $1,511 in Baltimore, MD. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 24% in Baltimore, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $684 a year higher in Riverside, CA than in Baltimore, MD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.9% moving from Baltimore, MD to Riverside, CA ($121,785 → $124,085), while prices change by +1.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.0% in real buying power.
- Baltimore, MD: price level 104.5 (pricier)
- 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
| Baltimore, MD | Riverside, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.5 | 106.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,871 in Riverside | $98,163 in Baltimore |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,511/mo | $1,777/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 29% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,070 | $48,400 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA. Metro areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baltimore | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 118.2 | 129.3 |
| Goods | 102.4 | 101.4 |
| Utilities | 110.2 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 101.5 | 101.3 |
| Overall | 104.5 | 106.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baltimore, MD → Riverside, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.8%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$684/yr.
57 Fair offer
Riverside, CA → Baltimore, MD
Roughly even
Buying power +1.9%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$684/yr.
75 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Baltimore, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Riverside, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Baltimore, MD to Riverside, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baltimore, MD | Riverside, CA | Real change, Baltimore → Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $71,957 | +0.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $87,061 | +0.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $104,349 | +0.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $124,085 | +0.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $146,632 | +0.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baltimore, MD | Riverside, CA | Riverside pay in Baltimore dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $138,170 | $114,970 | $112,858 (−18.3%) |
| Software Developers | $138,900 | $133,270 | $130,822 (−5.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,160 | $83,920 | $82,379 (−3.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,550 | $133,940 | $131,480 (+32.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.