City comparison
Canton, OH vs Riverside, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Riverside, CA are 19.1% higher than in Canton, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Canton, OH would need about $119,100 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 $846 in Canton, OH. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 13% in Canton, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,103 a year higher in Riverside, CA than in Canton, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.6% moving from Canton, OH to Riverside, CA ($111,138 → $124,085), while prices change by +19.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.2% in real buying power.
- Canton, OH: price level 89.4 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Canton, OH | Riverside, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.4 | 106.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $119,055 in Riverside | $83,995 in Canton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $846/mo | $1,777/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 29% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,810 | $48,400 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Canton-Massillon, OH MSA and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA. Metro areas: Canton-Massillon, OH and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Canton | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.1 | 129.3 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 101.4 |
| Utilities | 96.9 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 101.3 |
| Overall | 89.4 | 106.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Canton, OH → Riverside, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.0%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$3,103/yr.
32 Weak offer
Riverside, CA → Canton, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +19.1%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$3,103/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Canton, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Riverside, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Canton, OH to Riverside, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Canton, OH | Riverside, CA | Real change, Canton → Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $71,957 | −6.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $87,061 | −6.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $104,349 | −6.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $124,085 | −6.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $146,632 | −6.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Canton, OH | Riverside, CA | Riverside pay in Canton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,940 | $98,520 | $82,752 (+6.2%) |
| Software Developers | $105,500 | $133,270 | $111,940 (+6.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,170 | $83,920 | $70,489 (−2.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,610 | $133,940 | $112,503 (+41.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.