City comparison
Merced, CA vs Oklahoma City, OK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Merced, CA are 8.7% higher than in Oklahoma City, OK. Someone earning $100,000 in Oklahoma City, OK would need about $108,700 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 $1,017 in Oklahoma City, OK. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Merced, CA and 16% in Oklahoma City, OK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,116 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Oklahoma City, OK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −20.0% moving from Merced, CA to Oklahoma City, OK ($133,060 → $106,437), while prices change by −8.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −13.0% in real buying power.
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Oklahoma City, OK: price level 90.4 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Merced, CA | Oklahoma City, OK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 90.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,995 in Oklahoma City | $108,702 in Merced |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,213/mo | $1,017/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $75,226 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,955 (OK) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,220 | $47,230 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Merced, CA MSA and Oklahoma City, OK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Merced, CA and Oklahoma City, OK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Merced | Oklahoma City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 73.9 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 74.1 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 95.5 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 90.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Merced, CA → Oklahoma City, OK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.7%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,116/yr.
96 Strong offer
Oklahoma City, OK → Merced, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,116/yr.
44 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Merced, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Oklahoma City, OK is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Merced, CA to Oklahoma City, OK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Merced, CA | Oklahoma City, OK | Real change, Merced → Oklahoma City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $61,722 | −13.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $74,678 | −13.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $89,508 | −13.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $106,437 | −13.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $125,776 | −13.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Merced, CA | Oklahoma City, OK | Oklahoma City pay in Merced dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,120 | $48,780 | $53,025 (−47.0%) |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $122,390 | $133,040 (+0.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,420 | $77,280 | $84,005 (+4.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,620 | $82,920 | $90,135 (−31.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.