City comparison
Madison, WI 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 9.4% higher than in Madison, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Madison, WI would need about $109,400 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 $1,482 in Madison, WI. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 24% in Madison, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,151 a year higher in Riverside, CA than in Madison, WI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from Madison, WI to Riverside, CA ($106,437 → $124,085), while prices change by +9.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.6% in real buying power.
- Madison, WI: price level 97.3 (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
| Madison, WI | Riverside, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.3 | 106.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,410 in Riverside | $91,399 in Madison |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,482/mo | $1,777/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,261 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,919 (WI) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 29% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $58,080 | $48,400 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Madison, WI HUD Metro FMR Area and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA. Metro areas: Madison, WI and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Madison | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 99.7 | 129.3 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 101.4 |
| Utilities | 89.8 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 101.3 |
| Overall | 97.3 | 106.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Madison, WI → Riverside, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.6%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$1,151/yr.
36 Weak offer
Riverside, CA → Madison, WI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,151/yr.
98 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Madison, WI 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 Madison, WI to Riverside, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Madison, WI | Riverside, CA | Real change, Madison → Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,957 | +6.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $87,061 | +6.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $104,349 | +6.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $124,085 | +6.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $146,632 | +6.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Madison, WI | Riverside, CA | Riverside pay in Madison dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $104,110 | $114,970 | $105,082 (+0.9%) |
| Software Developers | $130,630 | $133,270 | $121,808 (−6.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,130 | $83,920 | $76,702 (−5.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,190 | $133,940 | $122,420 (+21.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.