City comparison
Brownsville, 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 23.8% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $123,800 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 $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 13% in Brownsville, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Riverside, CA than in Brownsville, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from Brownsville, TX to Riverside, CA ($106,437 → $124,085), while prices change by +23.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.8% in real buying power.
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (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
| Brownsville, TX | Riverside, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.0 | 106.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $123,806 in Riverside | $80,772 in Brownsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $866/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 | 13% | 29% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $36,490 | $48,400 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA. Metro areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Brownsville | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 57.7 | 129.3 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 101.4 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 101.3 |
| Overall | 86.0 | 106.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Brownsville, TX → Riverside, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −19.2%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
32 Weak offer
Riverside, CA → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +23.8%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Brownsville, TX 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 Brownsville, TX to Riverside, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Brownsville, TX | Riverside, CA | Real change, Brownsville → Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,957 | −5.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $87,061 | −5.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $104,349 | −5.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $124,085 | −5.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $146,632 | −5.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Brownsville, TX | Riverside, CA | Riverside pay in Brownsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,350 | $98,520 | $79,576 (+25.6%) |
| Software Developers | $106,990 | $133,270 | $107,644 (+0.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $66,440 | $83,920 | $67,784 (+2.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,090 | $133,940 | $108,186 (+33.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.