City comparison
Riverside, CA vs Rochester, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Riverside, CA are 9.7% higher than in Rochester, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Rochester, NY would need about $109,700 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 $1,256 in Rochester, NY. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 20% in Rochester, NY.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $5,070 a year in CA and $4,860 in NY.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.6% moving from Riverside, CA to Rochester, NY ($124,085 → $107,182), while prices change by −8.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.2% in real buying power.
- Riverside, CA: price level 106.4 (pricier)
- Rochester, NY: price level 97.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Riverside, CA | Rochester, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.4 | 97.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,162 in Rochester | $109,694 in Riverside |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,777/mo | $1,256/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 29% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,400 | $51,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY |
Rent areas: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA and Rochester, NY MSA. Metro areas: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA and Rochester, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Riverside | Rochester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.3 | 87.5 |
| Goods | 101.4 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 148.6 | 133.2 |
| Other services | 101.3 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 106.4 | 97.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Riverside, CA → Rochester, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$211/yr.
99 Strong offer
Rochester, NY → Riverside, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.8%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$211/yr.
35 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Riverside, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Rochester, NY is in Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY. The last column shows what a transfer from Riverside, CA to Rochester, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Riverside, CA | Rochester, NY | Real change, Riverside → Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $62,155 | −5.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $75,202 | −5.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $90,135 | −5.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $107,182 | −5.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $126,657 | −5.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Riverside, CA | Rochester, NY | Rochester pay in Riverside dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,520 | $62,840 | $68,932 (−30.0%) |
| Software Developers | $133,270 | $122,770 | $134,672 (+1.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,920 | $80,890 | $88,732 (+5.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $133,940 | $86,570 | $94,962 (−29.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.