City comparison
Lubbock, 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 16.6% higher than in Lubbock, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Lubbock, TX would need about $116,600 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 $990 in Lubbock, TX. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 15% in Lubbock, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Riverside, CA than in Lubbock, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from Lubbock, TX to Riverside, CA ($106,437 → $124,085), while prices change by +16.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.0% in real buying power.
- Lubbock, TX: price level 91.3 (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
| Lubbock, TX | Riverside, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.3 | 106.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $116,563 in Riverside | $85,790 in Lubbock |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $990/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 | 15% | 29% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $42,130 | $48,400 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Lubbock, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA. Metro areas: Lubbock, TX and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lubbock | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.4 | 129.3 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 101.4 |
| Utilities | 82.8 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 101.3 |
| Overall | 91.3 | 106.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lubbock, TX → Riverside, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.2%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
32 Weak offer
Riverside, CA → Lubbock, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.6%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lubbock, TX 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 Lubbock, TX to Riverside, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lubbock, TX | Riverside, CA | Real change, Lubbock → Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,957 | +0.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $87,061 | +0.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $104,349 | +0.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $124,085 | +0.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $146,632 | +0.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lubbock, TX | Riverside, CA | Riverside pay in Lubbock dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,220 | $98,520 | $84,521 (+42.7%) |
| Software Developers | $115,190 | $133,270 | $114,333 (−0.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,390 | $83,920 | $71,995 (−3.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,480 | $133,940 | $114,908 (+41.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.