City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs Merced, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Colorado Springs, CO are 2.5% higher than in Merced, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Merced, CA would need about $102,500 in Colorado Springs, CO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,464 a month in Colorado Springs, CO versus $1,213 in Merced, CA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Colorado Springs, CO and 20% in Merced, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,379 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Colorado Springs, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +21.8% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to Merced, CA ($109,246 → $133,060), while prices change by −2.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +24.8% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (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
| Colorado Springs, CO | Merced, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,585 in Merced | $102,475 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $1,213/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $47,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and Merced, CA MSA. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and Merced, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | Merced |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 158.3 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → Merced, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,379/yr.
76 Strong offer
Merced, CA → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.4%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,379/yr.
61 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; Merced, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to Merced, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | Merced, CA | Real change, Colorado Springs → Merced |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $77,161 | +24.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $93,358 | +24.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $111,896 | +24.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $133,060 | +24.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $157,236 | +24.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | Merced, CA | Merced pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $100,120 | $102,598 (+67.8%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $132,120 | $135,390 (+0.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $80,420 | $82,410 (−3.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $131,620 | $134,877 (+40.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.