City comparison
Lafayette, LA vs Merced, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Merced, CA are 12.7% higher than in Lafayette, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lafayette, LA would need about $112,700 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 $898 in Lafayette, LA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Merced, CA and 14% in Lafayette, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,457 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Lafayette, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Lafayette, LA to Merced, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +12.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.9% in real buying power.
- Lafayette, LA: price level 87.2 (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
| Lafayette, LA | Merced, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 87.2 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,689 in Merced | $88,740 in Lafayette |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $898/mo | $1,213/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $41,780 | $47,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Merced, CA MSA. Metro areas: Lafayette, LA and Merced, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lafayette | Merced |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.8 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 158.3 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 87.2 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lafayette, LA → Merced, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$2,457/yr.
38 Weak offer
Merced, CA → Lafayette, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.7%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$2,457/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lafayette, LA 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 Lafayette, LA to Merced, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lafayette, LA | Merced, CA | Real change, Lafayette → Merced |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +10.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +10.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +10.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +10.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +10.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lafayette, LA | Merced, CA | Merced pay in Lafayette dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $47,770 | $100,120 | $88,846 (+86.0%) |
| Software Developers | $109,010 | $132,120 | $117,243 (+7.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $67,630 | $80,420 | $71,365 (+5.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,960 | $131,620 | $116,799 (+42.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.