City comparison
Riverside, CA vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 4.4% higher than in Riverside, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Riverside, CA would need about $104,400 in Seattle, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,146 a month in Seattle, WA versus $1,777 in Riverside, CA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 29% in Riverside, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Riverside, CA than in Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.6% moving from Riverside, CA to Seattle, WA ($124,085 → $119,630), while prices change by +4.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.7% in real buying power.
- Riverside, CA: price level 106.4 (pricier)
- Seattle, WA: price level 111.1 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Riverside, CA | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.4 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,407 in Seattle | $95,779 in Riverside |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,777/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 29% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,400 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Riverside | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.3 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 101.4 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 148.6 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 101.3 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 106.4 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Riverside, CA → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.2%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
44 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Riverside, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.4%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
77 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Riverside, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Riverside, CA to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Riverside, CA | Seattle, WA | Real change, Riverside → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $69,373 | −7.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $83,935 | −7.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $100,602 | −7.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $119,630 | −7.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $141,367 | −7.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Riverside, CA | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Riverside dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,520 | $102,920 | $98,576 (+0.1%) |
| Software Developers | $133,270 | $167,280 | $160,219 (+20.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,920 | $99,370 | $95,176 (+13.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $133,940 | $128,260 | $122,846 (−8.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.