City comparison
Riverside, CA vs Visalia, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Riverside, CA are 6.6% higher than in Visalia, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Visalia, CA would need about $106,600 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 $1,123 in Visalia, CA. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 18% in Visalia, CA.
- Both are in CA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $5,070 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.8% moving from Riverside, CA to Visalia, CA ($124,085 → $106,973), while prices change by −6.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.1% in real buying power.
- Riverside, CA: price level 106.4 (pricier)
- Visalia, CA: price level 99.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Riverside, CA | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.4 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,783 in Visalia | $106,629 in Riverside |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,777/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 29% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,400 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Riverside | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.3 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 101.4 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 148.6 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 101.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 106.4 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Riverside, CA → Visalia, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
89 Strong offer
Visalia, CA → Riverside, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.2%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
44 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Riverside, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Visalia, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Riverside, CA to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Riverside, CA | Visalia, CA | Real change, Riverside → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $62,033 | −8.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $75,055 | −8.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $89,959 | −8.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $106,973 | −8.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $126,410 | −8.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Riverside, CA | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Riverside dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,520 | $98,430 | $104,955 (+6.5%) |
| Software Developers | $133,270 | $126,170 | $134,533 (+0.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,920 | $79,400 | $84,663 (+0.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $133,940 | $125,180 | $133,478 (−0.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.