City comparison
Riverside, CA vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Riverside, CA are 21.3% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $121,300 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 $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $335 a year higher in Riverside, CA than in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.4% moving from Riverside, CA to Tuscaloosa, AL ($124,085 → $107,510), while prices change by −17.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.1% in real buying power.
- Riverside, CA: price level 106.4 (pricier)
- Tuscaloosa, AL: price level 87.7 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Riverside, CA | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.4 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $82,413 in Tuscaloosa | $121,340 in Riverside |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,777/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 29% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,400 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Riverside | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.3 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 101.4 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 148.6 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 101.3 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 106.4 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Riverside, CA → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +21.3%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$335/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Riverside, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −17.6%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$335/yr.
32 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Riverside, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Riverside, CA to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Riverside, CA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Riverside → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $62,344 | +5.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $75,431 | +5.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $90,410 | +5.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $107,510 | +5.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $127,044 | +5.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Riverside, CA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Riverside dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,520 | $60,220 | $73,071 (−25.8%) |
| Software Developers | $133,270 | $104,870 | $127,249 (−4.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,920 | $71,690 | $86,989 (+3.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $133,940 | $75,250 | $91,308 (−31.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.