City comparison
Riverside, CA vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Riverside, CA are 11.9% higher than in St. Louis, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in St. Louis, MO would need about $111,900 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 $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,308 a year higher in Riverside, CA than in St. Louis, MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −12.0% moving from Riverside, CA to St. Louis, MO ($124,085 → $109,137), while prices change by −10.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.5% in real buying power.
- Riverside, CA: price level 106.4 (pricier)
- St. Louis, MO: price level 95.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Riverside, CA | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.4 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $89,333 in St. Louis | $111,941 in Riverside |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,777/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 29% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,400 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Riverside | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.3 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 101.4 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 148.6 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 101.3 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 106.4 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Riverside, CA → St. Louis, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.9%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,308/yr.
100 Strong offer
St. Louis, MO → Riverside, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.7%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$1,308/yr.
32 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Riverside, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Riverside, CA to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Riverside, CA | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Riverside → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $63,288 | −1.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $76,573 | −1.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $91,779 | −1.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $109,137 | −1.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $128,967 | −1.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Riverside, CA | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Riverside dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,520 | $60,650 | $67,892 (−31.1%) |
| Software Developers | $133,270 | $129,030 | $144,437 (+8.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,920 | $78,880 | $88,299 (+5.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $133,940 | $83,180 | $93,112 (−30.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.