City comparison
Riverside, CA vs Vallejo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Vallejo, CA are 1.9% higher than in Riverside, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Riverside, CA would need about $101,900 in Vallejo, CA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,777 a month in Riverside, CA and $1,705 in Vallejo, 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 Vallejo, CA ($124,085 → $133,060), while prices change by +1.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.2% in real buying power.
- Riverside, CA: price level 106.4 (pricier)
- Vallejo, CA: price level 108.5 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Riverside, CA | Vallejo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.4 | 108.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,914 in Vallejo | $98,122 in Riverside |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,777/mo | $1,705/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% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,400 | $58,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA and Vallejo, CA MSA. Metro areas: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA and Vallejo, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Riverside | Vallejo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.3 | 142.0 |
| Goods | 101.4 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 148.6 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 101.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 106.4 | 108.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Riverside, CA → Vallejo, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.9%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
59 Fair offer
Vallejo, CA → Riverside, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.9%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
69 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Riverside, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Vallejo, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Riverside, CA to Vallejo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Riverside, CA | Vallejo, CA | Real change, Riverside → Vallejo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $77,161 | +5.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $93,358 | +5.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $111,896 | +5.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $133,060 | +5.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $157,236 | +5.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Riverside, CA | Vallejo, CA | Vallejo pay in Riverside dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,520 | $100,790 | $98,897 (+0.4%) |
| Software Developers | $133,270 | $136,930 | $134,359 (+0.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,920 | $95,800 | $94,001 (+12.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $133,940 | $203,290 | $199,473 (+48.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.