City comparison
Merced, CA vs Omaha, NE
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Merced, CA are 6.9% higher than in Omaha, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Omaha, NE would need about $106,900 in Merced, CA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,213 a month in Merced, CA versus $1,148 in Omaha, NE. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Merced, CA and 18% in Omaha, NE.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,400 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Omaha, NE.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −19.2% moving from Merced, CA to Omaha, NE ($133,060 → $107,501), while prices change by −6.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −13.6% in real buying power.
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Omaha, NE: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Merced, CA | Omaha, NE | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 91.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,524 in Omaha | $106,924 in Merced |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,213/mo | $1,148/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $75,510 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,670 (NE) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,220 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA |
Rent areas: Merced, CA MSA and Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Merced, CA and Omaha, NE-IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Merced | Omaha |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 86.4 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 76.4 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 93.0 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 91.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Merced, CA → Omaha, NE
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,400/yr.
90 Strong offer
Omaha, NE → Merced, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,400/yr.
49 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Merced, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Omaha, NE is in Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA. The last column shows what a transfer from Merced, CA to Omaha, NE at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Merced, CA | Omaha, NE | Real change, Merced → Omaha |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $62,339 | −13.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $75,425 | −13.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $90,402 | −13.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $107,501 | −13.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $127,033 | −13.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Merced, CA | Omaha, NE | Omaha pay in Merced dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,120 | $62,670 | $67,009 (−33.1%) |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $125,220 | $133,890 (+1.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,420 | $77,030 | $82,364 (+2.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,620 | $84,600 | $90,458 (−31.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.