Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario cost of living
Prices in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area run at 106.4 against a national average of 100, ranking it #23 of 387 metros. Rents there sit at 129.3.
What drives the number
Prices in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario run at 106.4 where the national average is 100, so about 6.4 per cent above the country as a whole. It ranks #23 of 387 metro areas. Against California as a whole it is 4.3 points less expensive, which is the unusual direction, and it means the expensive part of the state is somewhere else.
Housing is doing nearly all of the work. Rents sit at 129.3 while goods sit at 101.4, a gap of 22.9 points between what it costs to live somewhere and what it costs to buy things. Someone who could reduce their housing cost here, by living further out or with fewer rooms, would remove most of the premium.
Comparing a job here against one elsewhere on the headline salary alone will mislead by roughly 6.4 per cent. Adjusting by the parity fixes that.
The vertical line is the national average of 100. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, SARPP, 2024.
What the biggest local jobs are really worth
The same pay buys different amounts in different places, so a salary quoted in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario is not comparable to one quoted elsewhere until it is divided by the local parity. These are the occupations that employ the most people here, with the quoted median alongside what that median is worth at national prices.
| Occupation | Employed | Median pay | Worth nationally | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 90,350 | $33,280 | $31,278 | $34,900 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 75,620 | $44,970 | $42,265 | $38,940 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 51,500 | $36,250 | $34,070 | $30,480 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 42,710 | $60,680 | $57,030 | $57,440 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 41,820 | $39,310 | $36,945 | $37,090 |
| Cashiers | 38,730 | $35,040 | $32,932 | $31,190 |
| Retail Salespersons | 38,030 | $35,490 | $33,355 | $34,580 |
| Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators | 35,270 | $54,540 | $51,259 | $46,390 |
Pay from the BLS metro survey, adjusted by dividing by the metro parity of 106.4.
Nearby metro areas
| Metro area | All items | Rents | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | 115.6 | 194.7 | #1 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | 113.6 | 170.4 | #3 |
| Napa | 112.6 | 197.4 | #4 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 111.9 | 179.3 | #6 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | 110.5 | 171.1 | #9 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | 110.4 | 211.9 | #10 |
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario: common questions
Is Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario expensive?
Prices are 6.4% above the national average, a parity of 106.4 where the country is 100. It ranks #23 of the 387 metro areas BEA measures. Against California as a whole it is 4.3 points less expensive.
What salary do you need in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
The median worker there earns $48,240, which buys what $45,338 buys nationally once local prices are taken into account. Comparing a salary offer between cities without this adjustment is comparing nothing useful.
Is housing the reason?
Usually. Rents here are at 129.3 against goods at 101.4. Goods barely vary between American cities because most are shipped and priced nationally; housing varies enormously, and it dominates any cost of living comparison.