City comparison
Bremerton, WA vs Merced, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bremerton, WA are 7.5% higher than in Merced, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Merced, CA would need about $107,500 in Bremerton, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,548 a month in Bremerton, WA versus $1,213 in Merced, CA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Bremerton, WA and 20% in Merced, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Bremerton, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.2% moving from Bremerton, WA to Merced, CA ($119,630 → $133,060), while prices change by −6.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +19.5% in real buying power.
- Bremerton, WA: price level 105.6 (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
| Bremerton, WA | Merced, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.6 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,057 in Merced | $107,461 in Bremerton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,548/mo | $1,213/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $63,200 | $47,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA MSA and Merced, CA MSA. Metro areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA and Merced, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bremerton | Merced |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.6 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 92.0 | 158.3 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 105.6 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bremerton, WA → Merced, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
92 Strong offer
Merced, CA → Bremerton, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.9%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
47 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bremerton, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; Merced, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Bremerton, WA to Merced, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bremerton, WA | Merced, CA | Real change, Bremerton → Merced |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $77,161 | +19.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $93,358 | +19.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $111,896 | +19.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $133,060 | +19.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $157,236 | +19.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bremerton, WA | Merced, CA | Merced pay in Bremerton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $102,650 | $100,120 | $107,590 (+4.8%) |
| Software Developers | $146,200 | $132,120 | $141,977 (−2.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,250 | $80,420 | $86,420 (−2.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $107,220 | $131,620 | $141,440 (+31.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.