City comparison
Hartford, CT vs Merced, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Hartford, CT are 4.5% higher than in Merced, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Merced, CA would need about $104,500 in Hartford, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,477 a month in Hartford, CT versus $1,213 in Merced, CA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Hartford, CT and 20% in Merced, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,145 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Hartford, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.8% moving from Hartford, CT to Merced, CA ($120,094 → $133,060), while prices change by −4.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +15.8% in real buying power.
- Hartford, CT: price level 102.7 (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
| Hartford, CT | Merced, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.7 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,648 in Merced | $104,549 in Hartford |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,477/mo | $1,213/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,940 | $47,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT MSA and Merced, CA MSA. Metro areas: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT and Merced, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hartford | Merced |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 110.2 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 144.9 | 158.3 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 102.7 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hartford, CT → Merced, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,145/yr.
83 Strong offer
Merced, CA → Hartford, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,145/yr.
55 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hartford, CT is in the Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA pay area; Merced, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Hartford, CT to Merced, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hartford, CT | Merced, CA | Real change, Hartford → Merced |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,642 | $77,161 | +15.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,260 | $93,358 | +15.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,992 | $111,896 | +15.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,094 | $133,060 | +15.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,915 | $157,236 | +15.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hartford, CT | Merced, CA | Merced pay in Hartford dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,800 | $100,120 | $104,675 (+31.2%) |
| Software Developers | $132,520 | $132,120 | $138,131 (+4.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $95,940 | $80,420 | $84,079 (−12.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,470 | $131,620 | $137,608 (+35.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.