City comparison
Columbus, GA vs Riverside, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Riverside, CA are 19.2% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $119,200 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 $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $503 a year higher in Riverside, CA than in Columbus, GA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.2% moving from Columbus, GA to Riverside, CA ($112,556 → $124,085), while prices change by +19.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.5% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (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
| Columbus, GA | Riverside, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 106.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $119,201 in Riverside | $83,892 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/mo | $1,777/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 29% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $48,400 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 129.3 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 101.4 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 101.3 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 106.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → Riverside, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.1%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$503/yr.
32 Weak offer
Riverside, CA → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +19.2%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$503/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Riverside, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, GA to Riverside, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | Riverside, CA | Real change, Columbus → Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $71,957 | −7.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $87,061 | −7.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $104,349 | −7.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $124,085 | −7.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $146,632 | −7.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | Riverside, CA | Riverside pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $98,520 | $82,650 (+34.7%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $133,270 | $111,802 (−3.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $83,920 | $70,402 (−4.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $133,940 | $112,365 (+36.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.