City comparison
Greeley, CO vs Riverside, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Riverside, CA are 6.3% higher than in Greeley, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Greeley, CO would need about $106,300 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 $1,238 in Greeley, CO. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 20% in Greeley, CO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,379 a year higher in Riverside, CA than in Greeley, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.6% moving from Greeley, CO to Riverside, CA ($118,675 → $124,085), while prices change by +6.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.6% in real buying power.
- Greeley, CO: price level 100.2 (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
| Greeley, CO | Riverside, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 106.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,255 in Riverside | $94,113 in Greeley |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,238/mo | $1,777/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 29% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,070 | $48,400 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Greeley, CO MSA and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA. Metro areas: Greeley, CO and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Greeley | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.6 | 129.3 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 101.4 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 101.3 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 106.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Greeley, CO → Riverside, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.9%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$1,379/yr.
45 Weak offer
Riverside, CA → Greeley, CO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,379/yr.
88 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Greeley, CO is in the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area; Riverside, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Greeley, CO to Riverside, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Greeley, CO | Riverside, CA | Real change, Greeley → Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,819 | $71,957 | −1.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,265 | $87,061 | −1.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,800 | $104,349 | −1.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,675 | $124,085 | −1.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,239 | $146,632 | −1.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Greeley, CO | Riverside, CA | Riverside pay in Greeley dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,160 | $98,520 | $92,720 (+54.1%) |
| Software Developers | $129,480 | $133,270 | $125,425 (−3.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $87,240 | $83,920 | $78,980 (−9.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,300 | $133,940 | $126,055 (+30.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.