City comparison
Little Rock, AR vs Riverside, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Riverside, CA are 19.1% higher than in Little Rock, AR. Someone earning $100,000 in Little Rock, AR would need about $119,100 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 $989 in Little Rock, AR. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 16% in Little Rock, AR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,383 a year higher in Riverside, CA than in Little Rock, AR.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from Little Rock, AR to Riverside, CA ($106,437 → $124,085), while prices change by +19.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.1% in real buying power.
- Little Rock, AR: price level 89.4 (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
| Little Rock, AR | Riverside, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.4 | 106.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $119,111 in Riverside | $83,956 in Little Rock |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $989/mo | $1,777/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,493 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,687 (AR) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 29% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,790 | $48,400 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR HUD Metro FMR Area and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA. Metro areas: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Little Rock | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.3 | 129.3 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 101.4 |
| Utilities | 74.6 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 95.3 | 101.3 |
| Overall | 89.4 | 106.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Little Rock, AR → Riverside, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.0%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$1,383/yr.
32 Weak offer
Riverside, CA → Little Rock, AR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +19.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,383/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Little Rock, AR 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 Little Rock, AR to Riverside, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Little Rock, AR | Riverside, CA | Real change, Little Rock → Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,957 | −2.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $87,061 | −2.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $104,349 | −2.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $124,085 | −2.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $146,632 | −2.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Little Rock, AR | Riverside, CA | Riverside pay in Little Rock dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $94,070 | $114,970 | $96,524 (+2.6%) |
| Software Developers | $104,070 | $133,270 | $111,888 (+7.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,810 | $83,920 | $70,456 (+7.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,070 | $133,940 | $112,450 (+38.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.