Cost of Living in Riverside, California
Rent, everyday costs and taxes in Riverside, what each job keeps after paying them, and how the city compares with the rest of the US.
- Population
- 323,057
- Median household income
- $90,004
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 106.4
- Unemployment rate
- 6.4%
Is Riverside a good place to live?
Riverside is hard on a single typical paycheck: after taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, a typical worker living alone comes up $2,815 a year short. It works better for higher earners and for people who share housing.
Your own pay and housing may differ. Try your job
- Cost of living6% above the US average (BEA, 2024)
- Rent$1,885 a month for a 1-bedroom (HUD)
- Taxes$953 of state income tax on a typical wage
Cost of living in Riverside
Prices in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA area run 6% above the US average. Utilities is the biggest difference, at 49% above the US average.
- Housing29% above the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)1% above the US average
- Utilities49% above the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)1% above the US average
- All items6% above the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,885 | $22,620 |
| Food | $501 | $6,012 |
| Transportation | $396 | $4,752 |
| Healthcare | $357 | $4,284 |
| Utilities | $387 | $4,644 |
| Total before taxes | $3,526 | $42,312 |
Rent by apartment size
| Monthly rent | Riverside | Whole metro area |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,781 | $1,605 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,885 | $1,705 |
| 2 bedrooms | $2,330 | $2,103 |
| 3 bedrooms | $3,075 | $2,771 |
| 4 bedrooms | $3,701 | $3,336 |
Living in Riverside
How Riverside compares with the US on income, housing, work and commuting (Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year).
| Measure | Riverside | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $90,004 | $81,604 |
| Median home value | $616,400 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $2,060 | $1,487 |
| Households renting | 44.4% | 34.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.4% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 10.5% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 25.4% | 36.9% |
| Median age | 34.8 years | 39.2 years |
| Average commute, one way | 31.5 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 9.8% | 13.3% |
| Commuting by public transit | 1.5% | 3.7% |
Home internet
5 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Riverside, led by Spectrum, T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon. Fiber reaches 31.8% of homes and 48.1% can get gigabit speeds.
Pros and cons of living in Riverside
Pros
- Higher incomes. Median household income is $90,004, against $81,604 nationally.
Cons
- Paychecks don't stretch far. A typical worker living alone comes up $2,815 short each year after taxes, rent and everyday costs.
- Expensive rent. Median rent is $2,060 a month, against $1,487 nationally.
- Higher unemployment. Unemployment is 6.4%, against 4.6% nationally (ACS 2024 1-year).
- Longer commutes. The average one-way commute is 31.5 minutes, against 27.2 nationally.
What your job keeps in Riverside
Pick a job, or enter your salary, to see what's left after federal, payroll, state and local taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Typical salary
- $48,400
- Federal income tax
- −$3,628
- Payroll taxes
- −$4,332
- State income tax
- −$953
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$22,620
- Everyday costs
- −$19,682
a year ($235 a month) for one earner renting a 1-bedroom alone
Pay: BLS OEWS Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA. Rent: HUD FY2027. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local schedules for a single filer.
A single earner renting a 1-bedroom alone. Sharing housing, or a second income, changes this a lot.
What the most common jobs keep here
The 10 jobs we cover with the most workers in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA area.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Registered nurse | $133,940 | $50,543 |
| Teacher | $99,382 | $30,138 |
| Accountant | $83,920 | $20,900 |
| Licensed practical nurse | $76,970 | $16,731 |
| Electrician | $72,790 | $14,178 |
| Carpenter | $70,880 | $13,012 |
| Social worker | $70,630 | $12,860 |
| Truck driver | $60,580 | $6,082 |
| Medical assistant | $46,700 | −$4,063 |
| Nursing assistant | $46,430 | −$4,266 |
Other jobs, A–Z
What each keeps in Riverside on its median pay. Pick one in the calculator above for the full breakdown.
- Auto mechanic $8,711
- Civil engineer $39,542
- Data scientist $38,222
- Dental assistant −$2,742
- Dental hygienist $33,931
- Dentist $45,514
- Diesel mechanic $13,269
- Financial analyst $31,195
- Firefighter $18,056
- HVAC technician $8,775
- Lawyer $86,508
- Lineman $47,547
- Mechanical engineer $33,442
- Nurse practitioner $71,322
- Occupational therapist $42,176
- Paralegal $6,725
- Paramedic $14,014
- Pharmacist $66,674
- Pharmacy technician −$1,449
- Physical therapist $42,523
- Physician assistant $68,764
- Plumber $8,506
- Police officer $31,626
- Project manager $30,968
- Radiologic technologist $33,608
- Respiratory therapist $30,794
- Software engineer $50,156
- Speech-language pathologist $41,598
- Veterinarian $66,091
- Welder −$148
Compare Riverside with other cities
Compare Riverside with another city: any city or state, any of our 40 jobs.
Moving to Riverside
2 licensed interstate movers are based in Riverside, and 57 more elsewhere in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA area (FMCSA, household-goods authority).
Questions people ask
Is Riverside, CA a good place to live?
Riverside is hard on a single typical paycheck: after taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, a typical worker living alone comes up $2,815 a year short. It works better for higher earners and for people who share housing. The typical worker here earns $48,400 and would be $2,815 short a year after federal, payroll and state taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, renting alone.
What is the cost of living in Riverside?
Prices in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA area are 6% above the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). A 1-bedroom rents for $1,885 a month (HUD fair market rent, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person, covering food, transportation, healthcare and utilities, come to about $1,640 a month.
How much do you need to earn to live in Riverside?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom alone needs about $52,300 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs, with nothing left over. The typical worker in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA area earns $48,400.
What is the average rent in Riverside?
HUD's fair market rent for FY2027 is $1,781 for a studio, $1,885 for a 1-bedroom and $2,330 for a 2-bedroom. The Census Bureau puts the median rent paid in Riverside at $2,060 a month (2024).
Does Riverside have a state or city income tax?
Yes. On a typical wage of $48,400, California state income tax comes to about $953 a year. Riverside has no local income tax on wages.
What internet providers serve Riverside?
5 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Riverside, led by Spectrum, T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon. 31.8% of homes can get fiber and 48.1% can get gigabit speeds (FCC National Broadband Map).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, metropolitan area estimates
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by MSA, 2024
- FCC National Broadband Map, fixed broadband availability (data as of December 31, 2025, released 2026-09-29)
- FMCSA Carrier - All With History (operating authority and insurance)
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate