City comparison
Kansas City, MO vs Merced, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Merced, CA are 6.2% higher than in Kansas City, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in Kansas City, MO would need about $106,200 in Merced, CA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,197 a month in Kansas City, MO and $1,213 in Merced, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,308 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Kansas City, MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +23.0% moving from Kansas City, MO to Merced, CA ($108,173 → $133,060), while prices change by +6.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +15.8% in real buying power.
- Kansas City, MO: price level 92.5 (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
| Kansas City, MO | Merced, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.5 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,194 in Merced | $94,167 in Kansas City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,197/mo | $1,213/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,417 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,763 (MO) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,820 | $47,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Kansas City, MO-KS HUD Metro FMR Area and Merced, CA MSA. Metro areas: Kansas City, MO-KS and Merced, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kansas City | Merced |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 158.3 |
| Other services | 93.4 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 92.5 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kansas City, MO → Merced, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,308/yr.
51 Fair offer
Merced, CA → Kansas City, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,308/yr.
88 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kansas City, MO is in the Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS pay area; Merced, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Kansas City, MO to Merced, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kansas City, MO | Merced, CA | Real change, Kansas City → Merced |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,729 | $77,161 | +15.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,897 | $93,358 | +15.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,968 | $111,896 | +15.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,173 | $133,060 | +15.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,829 | $157,236 | +15.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kansas City, MO | Merced, CA | Merced pay in Kansas City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,060 | $100,120 | $94,280 (+54.4%) |
| Software Developers | $124,990 | $132,120 | $124,414 (−0.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,040 | $80,420 | $75,729 (−5.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,040 | $131,620 | $123,943 (+49.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.