City comparison
Des Moines, IA vs Merced, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Merced, CA are 7.2% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $107,200 in Merced, CA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,213 a month in Merced, CA versus $1,109 in Des Moines, IA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Merced, CA and 18% in Des Moines, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,922 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Des Moines, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +24.0% moving from Des Moines, IA to Merced, CA ($107,301 → $133,060), while prices change by +7.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +15.7% in real buying power.
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Des Moines, IA | Merced, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.7 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,169 in Merced | $93,311 in Des Moines |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,109/mo | $1,213/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,820 | $47,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area and Merced, CA MSA. Metro areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and Merced, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Des Moines | Merced |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.7 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 84.6 | 158.3 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 91.7 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Des Moines, IA → Merced, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,922/yr.
48 Fair offer
Merced, CA → Des Moines, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,922/yr.
91 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Des Moines, IA is in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA pay area; Merced, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Des Moines, IA to Merced, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Des Moines, IA | Merced, CA | Real change, Des Moines → Merced |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,223 | $77,161 | +15.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,284 | $93,358 | +15.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,234 | $111,896 | +15.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,301 | $133,060 | +15.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,797 | $157,236 | +15.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Des Moines, IA | Merced, CA | Merced pay in Des Moines dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $100,120 | $93,423 (+51.5%) |
| Software Developers | $126,460 | $132,120 | $123,282 (−2.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,290 | $80,420 | $75,040 (−5.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,630 | $131,620 | $122,815 (+56.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.