City comparison
Merced, CA vs Olympia, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Olympia, WA are 5.5% higher than in Merced, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Merced, CA would need about $105,500 in Olympia, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,682 a month in Olympia, WA versus $1,213 in Merced, CA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Olympia, WA and 20% in Merced, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Olympia, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.1% moving from Merced, CA to Olympia, WA ($133,060 → $119,630), while prices change by +5.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −14.8% in real buying power.
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Olympia, WA: price level 103.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Merced, CA | Olympia, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 103.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,490 in Olympia | $94,796 in Merced |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,213/mo | $1,682/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,220 | $61,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Merced, CA MSA and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA. Metro areas: Merced, CA and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Merced | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 116.7 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 91.7 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 103.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Merced, CA → Olympia, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
52 Fair offer
Olympia, WA → Merced, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
86 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Merced, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Olympia, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Merced, CA to Olympia, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Merced, CA | Olympia, WA | Real change, Merced → Olympia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $69,373 | −14.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $83,935 | −14.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $100,602 | −14.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $119,630 | −14.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $141,367 | −14.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Merced, CA | Olympia, WA | Olympia pay in Merced dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,120 | $104,650 | $99,204 (−0.9%) |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $124,060 | $117,604 (−11.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,420 | $94,470 | $89,554 (+11.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,620 | $125,020 | $118,514 (−10.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.