City comparison
Albany, NY vs Riverside, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Riverside, CA are 6.9% higher than in Albany, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Albany, NY would need about $106,900 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 $1,417 in Albany, NY. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 23% in Albany, NY.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,860 a year in NY and $5,070 in CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +13.0% moving from Albany, NY to Riverside, CA ($109,810 → $124,085), while prices change by +6.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.7% in real buying power.
- Albany, NY: price level 99.6 (about average)
- Riverside, CA: price level 106.4 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Albany, NY | Riverside, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 99.6 | 106.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,906 in Riverside | $93,540 in Albany |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,417/mo | $1,777/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 29% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $58,460 | $48,400 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY MSA and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA. Metro areas: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Albany | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 102.6 | 129.3 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 101.4 |
| Utilities | 134.0 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 101.3 |
| Overall | 99.6 | 106.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Albany, NY → Riverside, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.5%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$211/yr.
43 Weak offer
Riverside, CA → Albany, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.9%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$211/yr.
90 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Albany, NY is in the Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA pay area; Riverside, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Albany, NY to Riverside, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Albany, NY | Riverside, CA | Real change, Albany → Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,678 | $71,957 | +5.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,045 | $87,061 | +5.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,344 | $104,349 | +5.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,810 | $124,085 | +5.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,763 | $146,632 | +5.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Albany, NY | Riverside, CA | Riverside pay in Albany dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,240 | $98,520 | $92,156 (+16.3%) |
| Software Developers | $127,910 | $133,270 | $124,661 (−2.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $84,660 | $83,920 | $78,499 (−7.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,970 | $133,940 | $125,288 (+25.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.