City comparison
New Orleans, LA vs Riverside, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Riverside, CA are 15.0% higher than in New Orleans, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in New Orleans, LA would need about $115,000 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 $1,113 in New Orleans, LA. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 17% in New Orleans, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,457 a year higher in Riverside, CA than in New Orleans, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from New Orleans, LA to Riverside, CA ($106,437 → $124,085), while prices change by +15.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.4% in real buying power.
- New Orleans, LA: price level 92.6 (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
| New Orleans, LA | Riverside, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.6 | 106.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $114,952 in Riverside | $86,993 in New Orleans |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $1,777/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 29% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,290 | $48,400 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: New Orleans-Metairie, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA. Metro areas: New Orleans-Metairie, LA and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Orleans | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.0 | 129.3 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 101.4 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 101.3 |
| Overall | 92.6 | 106.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Orleans, LA → Riverside, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.0%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$2,457/yr.
32 Weak offer
Riverside, CA → New Orleans, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.0%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,457/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Orleans, LA 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 New Orleans, LA to Riverside, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Orleans, LA | Riverside, CA | Real change, New Orleans → Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,957 | +1.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $87,061 | +1.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $104,349 | +1.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $124,085 | +1.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $146,632 | +1.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Orleans, LA | Riverside, CA | Riverside pay in New Orleans dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,350 | $98,520 | $85,705 (+42.0%) |
| Software Developers | $106,950 | $133,270 | $115,935 (+8.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,940 | $83,920 | $73,004 (−6.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,850 | $133,940 | $116,518 (+42.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.