City comparison
Houston, 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 7.9% higher than in Houston, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Houston, TX would need about $107,900 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 $1,323 in Houston, TX. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 20% in Houston, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Riverside, CA than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.1% moving from Houston, TX to Riverside, CA ($122,749 → $124,085), while prices change by +7.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.3% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- 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
| Houston, TX | Riverside, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 106.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,922 in Riverside | $92,660 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/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 | 20% | 29% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $48,400 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Houston-The Woodlands, TX | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 129.3 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 101.4 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 101.3 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 106.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Riverside, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.3%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
40 Weak offer
Riverside, CA → Houston, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.9%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
94 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Riverside, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Riverside, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Riverside, CA | Real change, Houston → Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $71,957 | −6.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $87,061 | −6.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $104,349 | −6.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $124,085 | −6.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $146,632 | −6.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Riverside, CA | Riverside pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $98,520 | $91,288 (+41.5%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $133,270 | $123,488 (−4.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $83,920 | $77,760 (−8.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $133,940 | $124,109 (+24.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.