City comparison
New Haven, CT vs Riverside, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Riverside, CA are 1.8% higher than in New Haven, CT. Someone earning $100,000 in New Haven, CT would need about $101,800 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 $1,591 in New Haven, CT. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 25% in New Haven, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,145 a year higher in Riverside, CA than in New Haven, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.1% moving from New Haven, CT to Riverside, CA ($125,431 → $124,085), while prices change by +1.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.8% in real buying power.
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (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
| New Haven, CT | Riverside, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.6 | 106.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,801 in Riverside | $98,231 in New Haven |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,591/mo | $1,777/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 29% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,060 | $48,400 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: New Haven, CT MSA and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA. Metro areas: New Haven, CT and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Haven | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 124.3 | 129.3 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 101.4 |
| Utilities | 144.8 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 101.3 |
| Overall | 104.6 | 106.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Haven, CT → Riverside, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.8%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$1,145/yr.
58 Fair offer
Riverside, CA → New Haven, CT
Roughly even
Buying power +1.8%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$1,145/yr.
74 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Haven, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Riverside, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from New Haven, CT to Riverside, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Haven, CT | Riverside, CA | Real change, New Haven → Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $71,957 | −2.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $87,061 | −2.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $104,349 | −2.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $124,085 | −2.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $146,632 | −2.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Haven, CT | Riverside, CA | Riverside pay in New Haven dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,820 | $98,520 | $96,777 (+21.2%) |
| Software Developers | $133,040 | $133,270 | $130,912 (−1.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,960 | $83,920 | $82,435 (−13.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $104,490 | $133,940 | $131,571 (+25.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.