City comparison
Merced, CA vs Orlando, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Orlando, FL are 3.2% higher than in Merced, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Merced, CA would need about $103,200 in Orlando, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,731 a month in Orlando, FL versus $1,213 in Merced, CA. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Orlando, FL and 20% in Merced, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Orlando, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −20.0% moving from Merced, CA to Orlando, FL ($133,060 → $106,437), while prices change by +3.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −22.5% in real buying power.
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Orlando, FL: price level 101.4 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Merced, CA | Orlando, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 101.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,198 in Orlando | $96,901 in Merced |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,213/mo | $1,731/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,220 | $46,630 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Merced, CA MSA and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA. Metro areas: Merced, CA and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Merced | Orlando |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 123.4 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 87.2 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 101.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Merced, CA → Orlando, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.1%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
57 Fair offer
Orlando, FL → Merced, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.2%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
79 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Merced, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Orlando, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Merced, CA to Orlando, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Merced, CA | Orlando, FL | Real change, Merced → Orlando |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $61,722 | −22.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $74,678 | −22.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $89,508 | −22.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $106,437 | −22.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $125,776 | −22.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Merced, CA | Orlando, FL | Orlando pay in Merced dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,120 | $60,190 | $58,325 (−41.7%) |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $129,620 | $125,603 (−4.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,420 | $78,630 | $76,193 (−5.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,620 | $83,550 | $80,961 (−38.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.