City comparison
Boise City, ID vs Merced, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Boise City, ID (98.4) and Merced, CA (98.3, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Boise City, ID goes as far as $99,900 in Merced, CA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,381 a month in Boise City, ID versus $1,213 in Merced, CA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Boise City, ID and 20% in Merced, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $879 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Boise City, ID.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Boise City, ID to Merced, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by −0.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +25.2% in real buying power.
- Boise City, ID: price level 98.4 (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
| Boise City, ID | Merced, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.4 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,882 in Merced | $100,118 in Boise City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,381/mo | $1,213/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,988 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,192 (ID) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,100 | $47,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Boise City, ID HUD Metro FMR Area and Merced, CA MSA. Metro areas: Boise City, ID and Merced, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boise City | Merced |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.6 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 70.7 | 158.3 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 98.4 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boise City, ID → Merced, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$879/yr.
69 Fair offer
Merced, CA → Boise City, ID
Roughly even
Buying power −0.1%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$879/yr.
68 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boise City, ID 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 Boise City, ID to Merced, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boise City, ID | Merced, CA | Real change, Boise City → Merced |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +25.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +25.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +25.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +25.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +25.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boise City, ID | Merced, CA | Merced pay in Boise City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,230 | $100,120 | $100,238 (+63.7%) |
| Software Developers | $131,590 | $132,120 | $132,276 (+0.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,700 | $80,420 | $80,515 (+5.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,880 | $131,620 | $131,775 (+34.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.