City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Merced, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Merced, CA are 7.2% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $107,200 in Merced, CA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,213 a month in Merced, CA versus $1,155 in Birmingham, AL. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Merced, CA and 19% in Birmingham, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $335 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Birmingham, AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +23.8% moving from Birmingham, AL to Merced, CA ($107,510 → $133,060), while prices change by +7.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +15.4% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (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
| Birmingham, AL | Merced, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,236 in Merced | $93,253 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $1,213/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $47,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Merced, CA MSA. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Merced, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Merced |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 158.3 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Merced, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$335/yr.
48 Fair offer
Merced, CA → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$335/yr.
91 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Merced, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Merced, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Merced, CA | Real change, Birmingham → Merced |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $77,161 | +15.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $93,358 | +15.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $111,896 | +15.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $133,060 | +15.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $157,236 | +15.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Merced, CA | Merced pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $100,120 | $93,365 (+49.1%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $132,120 | $123,205 (−1.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $80,420 | $74,994 (−4.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $131,620 | $122,739 (+56.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.