City comparison
Milwaukee, WI vs Riverside, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Riverside, CA are 9.8% higher than in Milwaukee, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Milwaukee, WI would need about $109,800 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 $1,119 in Milwaukee, WI. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 18% in Milwaukee, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,151 a year higher in Riverside, CA than in Milwaukee, WI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.5% moving from Milwaukee, WI to Riverside, CA ($111,310 → $124,085), while prices change by +9.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.5% in real buying power.
- Milwaukee, WI: price level 96.9 (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
| Milwaukee, WI | Riverside, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.9 | 106.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,805 in Riverside | $91,070 in Milwaukee |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,119/mo | $1,777/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,261 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,919 (WI) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 29% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,160 | $48,400 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA. Metro areas: Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Milwaukee | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.1 | 129.3 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 101.4 |
| Utilities | 91.6 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 101.3 |
| Overall | 96.9 | 106.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Milwaukee, WI → Riverside, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.9%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$1,151/yr.
35 Weak offer
Riverside, CA → Milwaukee, WI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,151/yr.
99 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Milwaukee, WI is in the Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI pay area; Riverside, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Milwaukee, WI to Riverside, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Milwaukee, WI | Riverside, CA | Real change, Milwaukee → Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,548 | $71,957 | +1.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,098 | $87,061 | +1.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,606 | $104,349 | +1.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,310 | $124,085 | +1.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,535 | $146,632 | +1.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Milwaukee, WI | Riverside, CA | Riverside pay in Milwaukee dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,480 | $98,520 | $89,722 (+45.9%) |
| Software Developers | $123,730 | $133,270 | $121,369 (−1.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,290 | $83,920 | $76,426 (−4.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,360 | $133,940 | $121,979 (+25.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.