City comparison
Hagerstown, MD vs Merced, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Merced, CA are 4.4% higher than in Hagerstown, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Hagerstown, MD would need about $104,400 in Merced, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,213 a month in Merced, CA versus $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Merced, CA and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $684 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Hagerstown, MD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.3% moving from Hagerstown, MD to Merced, CA ($121,785 → $133,060), while prices change by +4.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.7% in real buying power.
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (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
| Hagerstown, MD | Merced, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.2 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,358 in Merced | $95,824 in Hagerstown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $961/mo | $1,213/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,440 | $47,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area and Merced, CA MSA. Metro areas: Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV and Merced, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hagerstown | Merced |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.7 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 95.7 | 158.3 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 94.2 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hagerstown, MD → Merced, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.2%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$684/yr.
56 Fair offer
Merced, CA → Hagerstown, MD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.4%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$684/yr.
82 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hagerstown, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Merced, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Hagerstown, MD to Merced, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hagerstown, MD | Merced, CA | Real change, Hagerstown → Merced |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $77,161 | +4.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $93,358 | +4.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $111,896 | +4.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $133,060 | +4.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $157,236 | +4.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hagerstown, MD | Merced, CA | Merced pay in Hagerstown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,190 | $100,120 | $95,939 (+51.8%) |
| Software Developers | $122,830 | $132,120 | $126,603 (+3.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,250 | $80,420 | $77,062 (+2.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $92,770 | $131,620 | $126,124 (+36.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.