City comparison
Riverside, CA vs Spartanburg, SC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Riverside, CA are 16.9% higher than in Spartanburg, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Spartanburg, SC would need about $116,900 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 $1,083 in Spartanburg, SC. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 17% in Spartanburg, SC.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $5,070 a year in CA and $4,843 in SC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −14.2% moving from Riverside, CA to Spartanburg, SC ($124,085 → $106,437), while prices change by −14.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.3% in real buying power.
- Riverside, CA: price level 106.4 (pricier)
- Spartanburg, SC: price level 91.1 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Riverside, CA | Spartanburg, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.4 | 91.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $85,540 in Spartanburg | $116,904 in Riverside |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,777/mo | $1,083/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,337 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,843 (SC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 29% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,400 | $47,650 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA and Spartanburg, SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA and Spartanburg, SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Riverside | Spartanburg |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.3 | 68.0 |
| Goods | 101.4 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 148.6 | 88.3 |
| Other services | 101.3 | 98.3 |
| Overall | 106.4 | 91.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Riverside, CA → Spartanburg, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.9%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$228/yr.
100 Strong offer
Spartanburg, SC → Riverside, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.5%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$228/yr.
32 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Riverside, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Spartanburg, SC is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Riverside, CA to Spartanburg, SC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Riverside, CA | Spartanburg, SC | Real change, Riverside → Spartanburg |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $61,722 | +0.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $74,678 | +0.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $89,508 | +0.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $106,437 | +0.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $125,776 | +0.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Riverside, CA | Spartanburg, SC | Spartanburg pay in Riverside dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,520 | $60,990 | $71,300 (−27.6%) |
| Software Developers | $133,270 | $114,460 | $133,808 (+0.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,920 | $77,080 | $90,109 (+7.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $133,940 | $82,360 | $96,282 (−28.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.