City comparison
Portland, OR vs Riverside, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Portland, OR (105.4) and Riverside, CA (106.4, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Portland, OR goes as far as $101,000 in Riverside, CA.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,777 a month in Riverside, CA versus $1,677 in Portland, OR. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 28% in Portland, OR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,850 a year higher in Portland, OR than in Riverside, CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.2% moving from Portland, OR to Riverside, CA ($114,684 → $124,085), while prices change by +1.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.2% in real buying power.
- Portland, OR: price level 105.4 (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
| Portland, OR | Riverside, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 106.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,968 in Riverside | $99,041 in Portland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,677/mo | $1,777/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $71,260 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $7,920 (OR) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 28% | 29% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,690 | $48,400 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA MSA and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA. Metro areas: Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Portland | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 125.1 | 129.3 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 101.4 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 100.1 | 101.3 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 106.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Portland, OR → Riverside, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.0%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax −$2,850/yr.
60 Fair offer
Riverside, CA → Portland, OR
Roughly even
Buying power +1.0%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$2,850/yr.
67 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Portland, OR is in the Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA pay area; Riverside, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Portland, OR to Riverside, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Portland, OR | Riverside, CA | Real change, Portland → Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $66,505 | $71,957 | +7.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $80,465 | $87,061 | +7.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $96,443 | $104,349 | +7.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $114,684 | $124,085 | +7.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $135,522 | $146,632 | +7.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Portland, OR | Riverside, CA | Riverside pay in Portland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $82,330 | $98,520 | $97,575 (+18.5%) |
| Software Developers | $156,000 | $133,270 | $131,992 (−15.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $92,200 | $83,920 | $83,115 (−9.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $130,310 | $133,940 | $132,655 (+1.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.