City comparison
Kansas City, MO vs Riverside, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Riverside, CA are 15.0% higher than in Kansas City, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in Kansas City, MO would need about $115,000 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 $1,197 in Kansas City, MO. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 19% in Kansas City, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,308 a year higher in Riverside, CA than in Kansas City, MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +14.7% moving from Kansas City, MO to Riverside, CA ($108,173 → $124,085), while prices change by +15.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.3% in real buying power.
- Kansas City, MO: price level 92.5 (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
| Kansas City, MO | Riverside, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.5 | 106.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $115,019 in Riverside | $86,942 in Kansas City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,197/mo | $1,777/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,417 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,763 (MO) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 29% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,820 | $48,400 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Kansas City, MO-KS HUD Metro FMR Area and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA. Metro areas: Kansas City, MO-KS and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kansas City | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 129.3 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 101.4 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 93.4 | 101.3 |
| Overall | 92.5 | 106.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kansas City, MO → Riverside, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.1%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$1,308/yr.
32 Weak offer
Riverside, CA → Kansas City, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.0%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,308/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kansas City, MO is in the Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS pay area; Riverside, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Kansas City, MO to Riverside, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kansas City, MO | Riverside, CA | Real change, Kansas City → Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,729 | $71,957 | −0.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,897 | $87,061 | −0.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,968 | $104,349 | −0.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,173 | $124,085 | −0.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,829 | $146,632 | −0.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kansas City, MO | Riverside, CA | Riverside pay in Kansas City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,060 | $98,520 | $85,655 (+40.3%) |
| Software Developers | $124,990 | $133,270 | $115,868 (−7.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,040 | $83,920 | $72,962 (−8.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,040 | $133,940 | $116,450 (+40.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.