City comparison
Merced, CA vs Pittsburgh, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Merced, CA are 3.8% higher than in Pittsburgh, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Pittsburgh, PA would need about $103,800 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 $1,077 in Pittsburgh, PA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Merced, CA and 17% in Pittsburgh, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Pittsburgh, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −17.3% moving from Merced, CA to Pittsburgh, PA ($133,060 → $110,047), while prices change by −3.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −14.1% in real buying power.
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Pittsburgh, PA: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Merced, CA | Pittsburgh, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,333 in Pittsburgh | $103,807 in Merced |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,213/mo | $1,077/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,220 | $49,650 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV |
Rent areas: Merced, CA MSA and Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Merced, CA and Pittsburgh, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Merced | Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 72.0 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 107.7 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Merced, CA → Pittsburgh, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.8%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,000/yr.
81 Strong offer
Pittsburgh, PA → Merced, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
57 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Merced, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Pittsburgh, PA is in Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV. The last column shows what a transfer from Merced, CA to Pittsburgh, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Merced, CA | Pittsburgh, PA | Real change, Merced → Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $63,815 | −14.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $77,211 | −14.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $92,543 | −14.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $110,047 | −14.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $130,042 | −14.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Merced, CA | Pittsburgh, PA | Pittsburgh pay in Merced dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,120 | $76,550 | $79,464 (−20.6%) |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $124,500 | $129,240 (−2.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,420 | $76,940 | $79,869 (−0.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,620 | $82,370 | $85,506 (−35.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.