City comparison
Baton Rouge, LA vs Merced, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Merced, CA are 8.3% higher than in Baton Rouge, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Baton Rouge, LA would need about $108,300 in Merced, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,213 a month in Merced, CA versus $1,064 in Baton Rouge, LA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Merced, CA and 17% in Baton Rouge, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,457 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Baton Rouge, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Baton Rouge, LA to Merced, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +8.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +15.5% in real buying power.
- Baton Rouge, LA: price level 90.8 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Baton Rouge, LA | Merced, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.8 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,256 in Merced | $92,373 in Baton Rouge |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,064/mo | $1,213/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,710 | $47,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Baton Rouge, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Merced, CA MSA. Metro areas: Baton Rouge, LA and Merced, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baton Rouge | Merced |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.2 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 158.3 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 90.8 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baton Rouge, LA → Merced, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$2,457/yr.
45 Weak offer
Merced, CA → Baton Rouge, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.3%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,457/yr.
95 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baton Rouge, LA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Merced, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Baton Rouge, LA to Merced, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baton Rouge, LA | Merced, CA | Real change, Baton Rouge → Merced |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +15.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +15.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +15.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +15.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +15.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baton Rouge, LA | Merced, CA | Merced pay in Baton Rouge dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,310 | $100,120 | $92,484 (+55.9%) |
| Software Developers | $101,900 | $132,120 | $122,044 (+19.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,070 | $80,420 | $74,287 (+1.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,130 | $131,620 | $121,582 (+49.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.