City comparison
Boulder, CO vs Riverside, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Riverside, CA are 1.2% higher than in Boulder, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Boulder, CO would need about $101,200 in Riverside, CA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,795 a month in Boulder, CO and $1,777 in Riverside, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,379 a year higher in Riverside, CA than in Boulder, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.6% moving from Boulder, CO to Riverside, CA ($118,675 → $124,085), while prices change by +1.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.3% in real buying power.
- Boulder, CO: price level 105.2 (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
| Boulder, CO | Riverside, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.2 | 106.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,179 in Riverside | $98,835 in Boulder |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,795/mo | $1,777/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 29% | 29% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $69,580 | $48,400 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Boulder, CO MSA and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA. Metro areas: Boulder, CO and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boulder | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 157.0 | 129.3 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 101.4 |
| Utilities | 82.7 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 101.3 |
| Overall | 105.2 | 106.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boulder, CO → Riverside, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.2%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$1,379/yr.
59 Fair offer
Riverside, CA → Boulder, CO
Roughly even
Buying power +1.2%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax −$1,379/yr.
67 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boulder, CO is in the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area; Riverside, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Boulder, CO to Riverside, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boulder, CO | Riverside, CA | Real change, Boulder → Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,819 | $71,957 | +3.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,265 | $87,061 | +3.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,800 | $104,349 | +3.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,675 | $124,085 | +3.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,239 | $146,632 | +3.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boulder, CO | Riverside, CA | Riverside pay in Boulder dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,640 | $98,520 | $97,372 (+20.7%) |
| Software Developers | $164,560 | $133,270 | $131,717 (−20.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $99,990 | $83,920 | $82,942 (−17.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,290 | $133,940 | $132,380 (+28.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.