City comparison
Little Rock, AR vs Merced, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Merced, CA are 10.0% higher than in Little Rock, AR. Someone earning $100,000 in Little Rock, AR would need about $110,000 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 $989 in Little Rock, AR. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Merced, CA and 16% in Little Rock, AR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,383 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Little Rock, AR.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Little Rock, AR to Merced, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +10.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +13.7% in real buying power.
- Little Rock, AR: price level 89.4 (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
| Little Rock, AR | Merced, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.4 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,972 in Merced | $90,933 in Little Rock |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $989/mo | $1,213/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,493 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,687 (AR) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,790 | $47,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR HUD Metro FMR Area and Merced, CA MSA. Metro areas: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR and Merced, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Little Rock | Merced |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.3 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 74.6 | 158.3 |
| Other services | 95.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 89.4 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Little Rock, AR → Merced, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,383/yr.
40 Weak offer
Merced, CA → Little Rock, AR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,383/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Little Rock, AR 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 Little Rock, AR to Merced, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Little Rock, AR | Merced, CA | Real change, Little Rock → Merced |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +13.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +13.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +13.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +13.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +13.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Little Rock, AR | Merced, CA | Merced pay in Little Rock dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,580 | $100,120 | $91,042 (+55.4%) |
| Software Developers | $104,070 | $132,120 | $120,140 (+15.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,810 | $80,420 | $73,128 (+11.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,070 | $131,620 | $119,685 (+47.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.