City comparison
Ann Arbor, MI vs Merced, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Ann Arbor, MI are 2.7% higher than in Merced, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Merced, CA would need about $102,700 in Ann Arbor, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,387 a month in Ann Arbor, MI versus $1,213 in Merced, CA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Ann Arbor, MI and 20% in Merced, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,071 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Ann Arbor, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +13.3% moving from Ann Arbor, MI to Merced, CA ($117,402 → $133,060), while prices change by −2.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +16.3% in real buying power.
- Ann Arbor, MI: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Ann Arbor, MI | Merced, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,418 in Merced | $102,651 in Ann Arbor |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,387/mo | $1,213/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,380 | $47,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Ann Arbor, MI MSA and Merced, CA MSA. Metro areas: Ann Arbor, MI and Merced, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Ann Arbor | Merced |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 125.3 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 98.2 | 158.3 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Ann Arbor, MI → Merced, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,071/yr.
77 Strong offer
Merced, CA → Ann Arbor, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.6%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$1,071/yr.
61 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Ann Arbor, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Merced, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Ann Arbor, MI to Merced, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Ann Arbor, MI | Merced, CA | Real change, Ann Arbor → Merced |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $77,161 | +16.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $93,358 | +16.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $111,896 | +16.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $133,060 | +16.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $157,236 | +16.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Ann Arbor, MI | Merced, CA | Merced pay in Ann Arbor dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,060 | $100,120 | $102,774 (+60.4%) |
| Software Developers | $126,830 | $132,120 | $135,622 (+6.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,040 | $80,420 | $82,552 (+3.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,450 | $131,620 | $135,109 (+30.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.