City comparison
Olympia, WA vs Riverside, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Riverside, CA are 2.7% higher than in Olympia, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Olympia, WA would need about $102,700 in Riverside, CA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,777 a month in Riverside, CA versus $1,682 in Olympia, WA. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 25% in Olympia, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Riverside, CA than in Olympia, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.7% moving from Olympia, WA to Riverside, CA ($119,630 → $124,085), while prices change by +2.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.0% in real buying power.
- Olympia, WA: price level 103.7 (pricier)
- 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
| Olympia, WA | Riverside, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.7 | 106.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,674 in Riverside | $97,396 in Olympia |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,682/mo | $1,777/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 29% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,960 | $48,400 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA. Metro areas: Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Olympia | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.7 | 129.3 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 101.4 |
| Utilities | 91.7 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 101.3 |
| Overall | 103.7 | 106.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Olympia, WA → Riverside, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.6%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
55 Fair offer
Riverside, CA → Olympia, WA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.7%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
76 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Olympia, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; Riverside, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Olympia, WA to Riverside, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Olympia, WA | Riverside, CA | Real change, Olympia → Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $71,957 | +1.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $87,061 | +1.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $104,349 | +1.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $124,085 | +1.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $146,632 | +1.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Olympia, WA | Riverside, CA | Riverside pay in Olympia dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $104,650 | $98,520 | $95,954 (−8.3%) |
| Software Developers | $124,060 | $133,270 | $129,799 (+4.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,470 | $83,920 | $81,735 (−13.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $125,020 | $133,940 | $130,452 (+4.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.