City comparison
Los Angeles, CA vs Riverside, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 6.7% higher than in Riverside, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Riverside, CA would need about $106,700 in Los Angeles, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,085 a month in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,777 in Riverside, CA. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 29% in Riverside, CA.
- Both are in CA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $5,070 a year on $100,000.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $124,085 in either. A transfer from Los Angeles, CA to Riverside, CA changes real buying power by +6.7%, purely from prices.
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much 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
| Los Angeles, CA | Riverside, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 113.6 | 106.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,727 in Riverside | $106,693 in Los Angeles |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,085/mo | $1,777/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 34% | 29% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,850 | $48,400 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA. Metro areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Los Angeles | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 170.4 | 129.3 |
| Goods | 106.6 | 101.4 |
| Utilities | 158.6 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 104.4 | 101.3 |
| Overall | 113.6 | 106.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Los Angeles, CA → Riverside, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.7%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
84 Strong offer
Riverside, CA → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.3%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
36 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Los Angeles, CA to Riverside, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Los Angeles, CA | Riverside, CA | Real change, Los Angeles → Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $71,957 | +6.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $87,061 | +6.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $104,349 | +6.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $124,085 | +6.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $146,632 | +6.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Los Angeles, CA | Riverside, CA | Riverside pay in Los Angeles dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,860 | $98,520 | $105,114 (+3.2%) |
| Software Developers | $160,920 | $133,270 | $142,190 (−11.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,360 | $83,920 | $89,537 (−5.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $135,560 | $133,940 | $142,904 (+5.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.