City comparison
Baton Rouge, LA vs Riverside, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Riverside, CA are 17.3% higher than in Baton Rouge, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Baton Rouge, LA would need about $117,300 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 $1,064 in Baton Rouge, LA. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 17% in Baton Rouge, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,457 a year higher in Riverside, CA than in Baton Rouge, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from Baton Rouge, LA to Riverside, CA ($106,437 → $124,085), while prices change by +17.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.6% in real buying power.
- Baton Rouge, LA: price level 90.8 (much 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
| Baton Rouge, LA | Riverside, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.8 | 106.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $117,253 in Riverside | $85,286 in Baton Rouge |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,064/mo | $1,777/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 29% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,710 | $48,400 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Baton Rouge, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA. Metro areas: Baton Rouge, LA and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baton Rouge | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.2 | 129.3 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 101.4 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 101.3 |
| Overall | 90.8 | 106.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baton Rouge, LA → Riverside, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.7%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$2,457/yr.
32 Weak offer
Riverside, CA → Baton Rouge, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.3%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,457/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baton Rouge, LA 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 Baton Rouge, LA to Riverside, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baton Rouge, LA | Riverside, CA | Real change, Baton Rouge → Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,957 | −0.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $87,061 | −0.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $104,349 | −0.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $124,085 | −0.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $146,632 | −0.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baton Rouge, LA | Riverside, CA | Riverside pay in Baton Rouge dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,310 | $98,520 | $84,024 (+41.7%) |
| Software Developers | $101,900 | $133,270 | $113,660 (+11.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,070 | $83,920 | $71,572 (−2.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,130 | $133,940 | $114,232 (+40.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.