City comparison
Riverside, CA vs Santa Rosa, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Santa Rosa, CA are 1.3% higher than in Riverside, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Riverside, CA would need about $101,300 in Santa Rosa, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,155 a month in Santa Rosa, CA versus $1,777 in Riverside, CA. On $100,000, that's 35% of take-home pay in Santa Rosa, 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 Santa Rosa, CA ($124,085 → $133,060), while prices change by +1.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.9% in real buying power.
- Riverside, CA: price level 106.4 (pricier)
- Santa Rosa, CA: price level 107.8 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Riverside, CA | Santa Rosa, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.4 | 107.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,261 in Santa Rosa | $98,755 in Riverside |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,777/mo | $2,155/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% | 35% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,400 | $56,850 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA MSA. Metro areas: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Riverside | Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.3 | 139.6 |
| Goods | 101.4 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 148.6 | 154.8 |
| Other services | 101.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 106.4 | 107.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Riverside, CA → Santa Rosa, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.2%; rent takes 35% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
50 Fair offer
Santa Rosa, CA → Riverside, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.3%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
67 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Riverside, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Santa Rosa, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Riverside, CA to Santa Rosa, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Riverside, CA | Santa Rosa, CA | Real change, Riverside → Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $77,161 | +5.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $93,358 | +5.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $111,896 | +5.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $133,060 | +5.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $157,236 | +5.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Riverside, CA | Santa Rosa, CA | Santa Rosa pay in Riverside dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,520 | $99,060 | $97,827 (−0.7%) |
| Software Developers | $133,270 | $148,630 | $146,779 (+10.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,920 | $94,690 | $93,511 (+11.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $133,940 | $174,550 | $172,377 (+28.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.