City comparison
Grand Rapids, MI vs Merced, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Merced, CA are 2.9% higher than in Grand Rapids, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Grand Rapids, MI would need about $102,900 in Merced, CA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,278 a month in Grand Rapids, MI versus $1,213 in Merced, CA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Grand Rapids, MI and 20% in Merced, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,071 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Grand Rapids, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Grand Rapids, MI to Merced, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +2.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +21.5% in real buying power.
- Grand Rapids, MI: price level 95.5 (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
| Grand Rapids, MI | Merced, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,856 in Merced | $97,223 in Grand Rapids |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,278/mo | $1,213/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,570 | $47,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Merced, CA MSA. Metro areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI and Merced, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Grand Rapids | Merced |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 93.8 | 158.3 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Grand Rapids, MI → Merced, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,071/yr.
60 Fair offer
Merced, CA → Grand Rapids, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.9%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,071/yr.
78 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Grand Rapids, MI 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 Grand Rapids, MI to Merced, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Grand Rapids, MI | Merced, CA | Real change, Grand Rapids → Merced |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +21.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +21.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +21.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +21.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +21.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Grand Rapids, MI | Merced, CA | Merced pay in Grand Rapids dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,900 | $100,120 | $97,340 (+57.3%) |
| Software Developers | $107,520 | $132,120 | $128,451 (+19.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,270 | $80,420 | $78,187 (+2.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,920 | $131,620 | $127,965 (+52.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.