City comparison
Port St. Lucie, FL 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 6.2% higher than in Port St. Lucie, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Port St. Lucie, FL would need about $106,200 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 $1,467 in Port St. Lucie, FL. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 22% in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Riverside, CA than in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.5% moving from Port St. Lucie, FL to Riverside, CA ($113,356 → $124,085), while prices change by +6.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.1% in real buying power.
- Port St. Lucie, FL: price level 100.2 (about average)
- 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
| Port St. Lucie, FL | Riverside, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 106.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,200 in Riverside | $94,162 in Port St. Lucie |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,467/mo | $1,777/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 29% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,490 | $48,400 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Port St. Lucie, FL MSA and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA. Metro areas: Port St. Lucie, FL and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Port St. Lucie | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 113.6 | 129.3 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 101.4 |
| Utilities | 87.0 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 101.3 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 106.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Port St. Lucie, FL → Riverside, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.8%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
45 Weak offer
Riverside, CA → Port St. Lucie, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.2%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
88 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Port St. Lucie, FL is in the Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL pay area; Riverside, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Port St. Lucie, FL to Riverside, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Port St. Lucie, FL | Riverside, CA | Real change, Port St. Lucie → Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,735 | $71,957 | +3.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $79,533 | $87,061 | +3.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $95,326 | $104,349 | +3.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $113,356 | $124,085 | +3.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,953 | $146,632 | +3.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Port St. Lucie, FL | Riverside, CA | Riverside pay in Port St. Lucie dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $110,340 | $114,970 | $108,258 (−1.9%) |
| Software Developers | $128,510 | $133,270 | $125,490 (−2.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,430 | $83,920 | $79,021 (−0.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,090 | $133,940 | $126,121 (+53.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.