City comparison
Merced, CA vs Milwaukee, WI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Merced, CA are 1.4% higher than in Milwaukee, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Milwaukee, WI would need about $101,400 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 $1,119 in Milwaukee, WI. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Merced, CA and 18% in Milwaukee, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,151 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Milwaukee, WI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −16.3% moving from Merced, CA to Milwaukee, WI ($133,060 → $111,310), while prices change by −1.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −15.2% in real buying power.
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Milwaukee, WI: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Merced, CA | Milwaukee, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,639 in Milwaukee | $101,380 in Merced |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,213/mo | $1,119/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $75,261 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,919 (WI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,220 | $51,160 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI |
Rent areas: Merced, CA MSA and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA. Metro areas: Merced, CA and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Merced | Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 91.6 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Merced, CA → Milwaukee, WI
Roughly even
Buying power +1.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,151/yr.
73 Strong offer
Milwaukee, WI → Merced, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,151/yr.
64 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Merced, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Milwaukee, WI is in Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Merced, CA to Milwaukee, WI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Merced, CA | Milwaukee, WI | Real change, Merced → Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $64,548 | −15.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $78,098 | −15.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $93,606 | −15.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $111,310 | −15.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $131,535 | −15.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Merced, CA | Milwaukee, WI | Milwaukee pay in Merced dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,120 | $61,480 | $62,329 (−37.7%) |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $123,730 | $125,438 (−5.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,420 | $80,290 | $81,398 (+1.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,620 | $97,360 | $98,704 (−25.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.