City comparison
Riverside, CA vs Salem, OR
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 Salem, OR. Someone earning $100,000 in Salem, OR would need about $102,700 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 $1,201 in Salem, OR. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 20% in Salem, OR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,850 a year higher in Salem, OR than in Riverside, CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −7.6% moving from Riverside, CA to Salem, OR ($124,085 → $114,684), while prices change by −2.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.1% in real buying power.
- Riverside, CA: price level 106.4 (pricier)
- Salem, OR: price level 103.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Riverside, CA | Salem, OR | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.4 | 103.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,376 in Salem | $102,695 in Riverside |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,777/mo | $1,201/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $71,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $7,920 (OR) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 29% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,400 | $55,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA |
Rent areas: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA and Salem, OR MSA. Metro areas: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA and Salem, OR.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Riverside | Salem |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.3 | 110.3 |
| Goods | 101.4 | 105.3 |
| Utilities | 148.6 | 104.7 |
| Other services | 101.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 106.4 | 103.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Riverside, CA → Salem, OR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$2,850/yr.
77 Strong offer
Salem, OR → Riverside, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.6%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax −$2,850/yr.
55 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Riverside, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Salem, OR is in Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Riverside, CA to Salem, OR at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Riverside, CA | Salem, OR | Real change, Riverside → Salem |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $66,505 | −5.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $80,465 | −5.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $96,443 | −5.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $114,684 | −5.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $135,522 | −5.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Riverside, CA | Salem, OR | Salem pay in Riverside dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,520 | $74,810 | $76,826 (−22.0%) |
| Software Developers | $133,270 | $131,620 | $135,167 (+1.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,920 | $87,480 | $89,837 (+7.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $133,940 | $131,750 | $135,300 (+1.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.