City comparison
Phoenix, AZ vs Riverside, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Riverside, CA are 3.0% higher than in Phoenix, AZ. Someone earning $100,000 in Phoenix, AZ would need about $103,000 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 $1,583 in Phoenix, AZ. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 25% in Phoenix, AZ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,779 a year higher in Riverside, CA than in Phoenix, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.4% moving from Phoenix, AZ to Riverside, CA ($111,338 → $124,085), while prices change by +3.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.2% in real buying power.
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (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
| Phoenix, AZ | Riverside, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.3 | 106.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,026 in Riverside | $97,063 in Phoenix |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,583/mo | $1,777/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,889 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,291 (AZ) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 29% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,380 | $48,400 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA. Metro areas: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Phoenix | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 121.2 | 129.3 |
| Goods | 95.0 | 101.4 |
| Utilities | 93.3 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 104.0 | 101.3 |
| Overall | 103.3 | 106.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Phoenix, AZ → Riverside, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.9%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$2,779/yr.
54 Fair offer
Riverside, CA → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.0%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$2,779/yr.
78 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Phoenix, AZ is in the Phoenix-Mesa, AZ pay area; Riverside, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Phoenix, AZ to Riverside, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Phoenix, AZ | Riverside, CA | Real change, Phoenix → Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,564 | $71,957 | +8.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,117 | $87,061 | +8.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,629 | $104,349 | +8.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,338 | $124,085 | +8.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,568 | $146,632 | +8.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Phoenix, AZ | Riverside, CA | Riverside pay in Phoenix dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $130,360 | $114,970 | $111,594 (−14.4%) |
| Software Developers | $131,750 | $133,270 | $129,356 (−1.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,820 | $83,920 | $81,455 (+0.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,830 | $133,940 | $130,006 (+28.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.