City comparison
Boston, MA vs Merced, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boston, MA are 10.2% higher than in Merced, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Merced, CA would need about $110,200 in Boston, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,476 a month in Boston, MA versus $1,213 in Merced, CA. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in Boston, MA and 20% in Merced, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $290 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Boston, MA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.4% moving from Boston, MA to Merced, CA ($120,548 → $133,060), while prices change by −9.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +21.6% in real buying power.
- Boston, MA: price level 108.3 (much pricier)
- 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
| Boston, MA | Merced, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 108.3 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,772 in Merced | $110,166 in Boston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,476/mo | $1,213/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,400 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,780 (MA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 40% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $66,620 | $47,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area and Merced, CA MSA. Metro areas: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH and Merced, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boston | Merced |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.4 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 158.3 |
| Other services | 103.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 108.3 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boston, MA → Merced, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.2%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$290/yr.
100 Strong offer
Merced, CA → Boston, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.2%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax −$290/yr.
18 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boston, MA is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Merced, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Boston, MA to Merced, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boston, MA | Merced, CA | Real change, Boston → Merced |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $77,161 | +21.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $93,358 | +21.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $111,896 | +21.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $133,060 | +21.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $157,236 | +21.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boston, MA | Merced, CA | Merced pay in Boston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,060 | $100,120 | $110,299 (+12.5%) |
| Software Developers | $166,090 | $132,120 | $145,552 (−12.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $100,150 | $80,420 | $88,596 (−11.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,180 | $131,620 | $145,001 (+36.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.