City comparison
Riverside, CA vs Scranton, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Riverside, CA are 13.8% higher than in Scranton, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Scranton, PA would need about $113,800 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 $1,028 in Scranton, PA. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 16% in Scranton, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in Riverside, CA than in Scranton, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −14.2% moving from Riverside, CA to Scranton, PA ($124,085 → $106,437), while prices change by −12.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.4% in real buying power.
- Riverside, CA: price level 106.4 (pricier)
- Scranton, PA: price level 93.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Riverside, CA | Scranton, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.4 | 93.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $87,894 in Scranton | $113,774 in Riverside |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,777/mo | $1,028/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 29% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,400 | $46,330 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA. Metro areas: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Riverside | Scranton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.3 | 67.0 |
| Goods | 101.4 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 148.6 | 106.5 |
| Other services | 101.3 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 106.4 | 93.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Riverside, CA → Scranton, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.8%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$2,000/yr.
100 Strong offer
Scranton, PA → Riverside, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.1%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
32 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Riverside, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Scranton, PA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Riverside, CA to Scranton, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Riverside, CA | Scranton, PA | Real change, Riverside → Scranton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $61,722 | −2.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $74,678 | −2.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $89,508 | −2.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $106,437 | −2.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $125,776 | −2.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Riverside, CA | Scranton, PA | Scranton pay in Riverside dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,520 | $76,590 | $87,139 (−11.6%) |
| Software Developers | $133,270 | $119,960 | $136,483 (+2.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,920 | $70,480 | $80,188 (−4.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $133,940 | $82,650 | $94,034 (−29.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.