Residential comparison · 13 facts
Riverside, CA vs San Bernardino, CA
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Riverside needs about $79,000 in San Bernardino to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from San Bernardino, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $91,500 in Riverside.
A few differences
- Riverside is higher on median household income ($91,045 vs $67,415).
- San Bernardino is lower on cost of living index (113 vs 127).
- San Bernardino is lower on 2-bedroom rent ($1,565/mo vs $1,905/mo).
Riverside vs San Bernardino · facet by facet
| Facet | Riverside, CA | San Bernardino, CA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $584,800 | $422,300 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,905/mo | $1,565/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.75% | 0.75% |
| State & local income tax | 2.09% | 2.09% |
| Sales tax | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Cost of living index | 127 | 113 |
| Groceries index | 112 | 112 |
| Utilities | $245/mo | $245/mo |
| Median household income | $91,045 | $67,415 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 5.2% |
| Crime index | 52/100 | 52/100 |
| School rating | 5.5/10 | 5.5/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 260 days | 260 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Riverside, CA · San Bernardino, CA
Questions & answers
- Is Riverside cheaper than San Bernardino?
- San Bernardino has the lower day-to-day cost index (113 vs 127 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in San Bernardino equals $85,000 in Riverside?
- A household earning $85,000 in Riverside needs about $79,000 in San Bernardino to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of San Bernardino lifestyle costs about $91,500 in Riverside.