City comparison
Hartford, CT vs Riverside, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Riverside, CA are 3.6% higher than in Hartford, CT. Someone earning $100,000 in Hartford, CT would need about $103,600 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 $1,477 in Hartford, CT. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 24% in Hartford, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,145 a year higher in Riverside, CA than in Hartford, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.3% moving from Hartford, CT to Riverside, CA ($120,094 → $124,085), while prices change by +3.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.3% in real buying power.
- Hartford, CT: price level 102.7 (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
| Hartford, CT | Riverside, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.7 | 106.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,597 in Riverside | $96,528 in Hartford |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,477/mo | $1,777/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 29% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,940 | $48,400 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT MSA and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA. Metro areas: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hartford | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 110.2 | 129.3 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 101.4 |
| Utilities | 144.9 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 101.3 |
| Overall | 102.7 | 106.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hartford, CT → Riverside, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.5%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$1,145/yr.
52 Fair offer
Riverside, CA → Hartford, CT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,145/yr.
80 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hartford, CT is in the Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA pay area; Riverside, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Hartford, CT to Riverside, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hartford, CT | Riverside, CA | Real change, Hartford → Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,642 | $71,957 | −0.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,260 | $87,061 | −0.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,992 | $104,349 | −0.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,094 | $124,085 | −0.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,915 | $146,632 | −0.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hartford, CT | Riverside, CA | Riverside pay in Hartford dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,800 | $98,520 | $95,099 (+19.2%) |
| Software Developers | $132,520 | $133,270 | $128,642 (−2.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $95,940 | $83,920 | $81,006 (−15.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,470 | $133,940 | $129,289 (+27.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.