City comparison
Cape Coral, FL vs Merced, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Cape Coral, FL are 4.1% higher than in Merced, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Merced, CA would need about $104,100 in Cape Coral, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,638 a month in Cape Coral, FL versus $1,213 in Merced, CA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Cape Coral, FL and 20% in Merced, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Cape Coral, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Cape Coral, FL to Merced, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by −4.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +30.2% in real buying power.
- Cape Coral, FL: price level 102.3 (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
| Cape Coral, FL | Merced, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.3 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,020 in Merced | $104,146 in Cape Coral |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,638/mo | $1,213/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,780 | $47,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL MSA and Merced, CA MSA. Metro areas: Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL and Merced, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cape Coral | Merced |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 125.1 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 86.9 | 158.3 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 102.3 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cape Coral, FL → Merced, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
82 Strong offer
Merced, CA → Cape Coral, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.0%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
56 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cape Coral, FL 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 Cape Coral, FL to Merced, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cape Coral, FL | Merced, CA | Real change, Cape Coral → Merced |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +30.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +30.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +30.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +30.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +30.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cape Coral, FL | Merced, CA | Merced pay in Cape Coral dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,470 | $100,120 | $104,270 (+72.4%) |
| Software Developers | $126,940 | $132,120 | $137,597 (+8.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,420 | $80,420 | $83,754 (+5.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,860 | $131,620 | $137,076 (+65.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.