City comparison
Merced, CA vs Portland, ME
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Portland, ME are 3.6% higher than in Merced, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Merced, CA would need about $103,600 in Portland, ME to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,658 a month in Portland, ME versus $1,213 in Merced, CA. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Portland, ME and 20% in Merced, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $584 a year higher in Portland, ME than in Merced, CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.4% moving from Merced, CA to Portland, ME ($133,060 → $120,548), while prices change by +3.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.6% in real buying power.
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Portland, ME: price level 101.9 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Merced, CA | Portland, ME | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 101.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,646 in Portland | $96,482 in Merced |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,213/mo | $1,658/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $73,526 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $5,654 (ME) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 27% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,220 | $56,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Merced, CA MSA and Portland, ME HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Merced, CA and Portland-South Portland, ME.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Merced | Portland |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 105.2 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 97.2 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 134.6 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 103.2 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 101.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Merced, CA → Portland, ME
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.5%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$584/yr.
55 Fair offer
Portland, ME → Merced, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$584/yr.
80 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Merced, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Portland, ME is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Merced, CA to Portland, ME at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Merced, CA | Portland, ME | Real change, Merced → Portland |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $69,905 | −12.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $84,579 | −12.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $101,375 | −12.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $120,548 | −12.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $142,452 | −12.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Merced, CA | Portland, ME | Portland pay in Merced dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,120 | $76,770 | $74,070 (−26.0%) |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $128,710 | $124,182 (−6.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,420 | $79,790 | $76,983 (−4.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,620 | $88,470 | $85,358 (−35.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.