City comparison
Nashville, TN vs Riverside, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Riverside, CA are 10.5% higher than in Nashville, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Nashville, TN would need about $110,500 in Riverside, CA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,777 a month in Riverside, CA versus $1,578 in Nashville, TN. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 24% in Nashville, TN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Riverside, CA than in Nashville, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from Nashville, TN to Riverside, CA ($106,437 → $124,085), while prices change by +10.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.5% in real buying power.
- Nashville, TN: price level 96.3 (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
| Nashville, TN | Riverside, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.3 | 106.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,488 in Riverside | $90,508 in Nashville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,578/mo | $1,777/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 29% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,390 | $48,400 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN HUD Metro FMR Area and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA. Metro areas: Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Nashville | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.6 | 129.3 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 101.4 |
| Utilities | 72.0 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 95.1 | 101.3 |
| Overall | 96.3 | 106.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Nashville, TN → Riverside, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.5%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
33 Weak offer
Riverside, CA → Nashville, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.5%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Nashville, TN is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Riverside, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Nashville, TN to Riverside, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Nashville, TN | Riverside, CA | Real change, Nashville → Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,957 | +5.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $87,061 | +5.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $104,349 | +5.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $124,085 | +5.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $146,632 | +5.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Nashville, TN | Riverside, CA | Riverside pay in Nashville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,460 | $98,520 | $89,168 (+45.1%) |
| Software Developers | $126,610 | $133,270 | $120,619 (−4.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,080 | $83,920 | $75,954 (−2.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,040 | $133,940 | $121,226 (+44.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.