City comparison
Hagerstown, MD vs Riverside, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Riverside, CA are 13.0% higher than in Hagerstown, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Hagerstown, MD would need about $113,000 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 $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $684 a year higher in Riverside, CA than in Hagerstown, MD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.9% moving from Hagerstown, MD to Riverside, CA ($121,785 → $124,085), while prices change by +13.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.9% in real buying power.
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (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
| Hagerstown, MD | Riverside, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.2 | 106.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,031 in Riverside | $88,472 in Hagerstown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $961/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 | 15% | 29% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,440 | $48,400 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA. Metro areas: Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hagerstown | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.7 | 129.3 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 101.4 |
| Utilities | 95.7 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 101.3 |
| Overall | 94.2 | 106.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hagerstown, MD → Riverside, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.5%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$684/yr.
32 Weak offer
Riverside, CA → Hagerstown, MD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$684/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hagerstown, 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 Hagerstown, MD to Riverside, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hagerstown, MD | Riverside, CA | Real change, Hagerstown → Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $71,957 | −9.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $87,061 | −9.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $104,349 | −9.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $124,085 | −9.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $146,632 | −9.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hagerstown, MD | Riverside, CA | Riverside pay in Hagerstown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,190 | $98,520 | $87,162 (+37.9%) |
| Software Developers | $122,830 | $133,270 | $117,906 (−4.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,250 | $83,920 | $74,245 (−1.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $92,770 | $133,940 | $118,499 (+27.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.