City comparison
Riverside, CA vs San Jose, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Jose, CA are 3.7% higher than in Riverside, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Riverside, CA would need about $103,700 in San Jose, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,982 a month in San Jose, CA versus $1,777 in Riverside, CA. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Jose, CA and 29% in Riverside, CA.
- Both are in CA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $5,070 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +7.2% moving from Riverside, CA to San Jose, CA ($124,085 → $133,060), while prices change by +3.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.4% in real buying power.
- Riverside, CA: price level 106.4 (pricier)
- San Jose, CA: price level 110.4 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Riverside, CA | San Jose, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.4 | 110.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,740 in San Jose | $96,395 in Riverside |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,777/mo | $2,982/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 29% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,400 | $84,050 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Riverside | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.3 | 211.9 |
| Goods | 101.4 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 148.6 | 156.7 |
| Other services | 101.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 106.4 | 110.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Riverside, CA → San Jose, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.6%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
23 Weak offer
San Jose, CA → Riverside, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.7%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
75 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Riverside, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; San Jose, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Riverside, CA to San Jose, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Riverside, CA | San Jose, CA | Real change, Riverside → San Jose |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $77,161 | +3.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $93,358 | +3.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $111,896 | +3.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $133,060 | +3.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $157,236 | +3.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Riverside, CA | San Jose, CA | San Jose pay in Riverside dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,520 | $102,860 | $99,152 (+0.6%) |
| Software Developers | $133,270 | $213,110 | $205,427 (+54.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,920 | $121,700 | $117,312 (+39.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $133,940 | $216,740 | $208,926 (+56.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.