City comparison
Merced, CA vs Raleigh, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Merced, CA (98.3) and Raleigh, NC (98.2, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Merced, CA goes as far as $99,900 in Raleigh, NC.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,596 a month in Raleigh, NC versus $1,213 in Merced, CA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Raleigh, NC and 20% in Merced, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,589 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Raleigh, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −16.5% moving from Merced, CA to Raleigh, NC ($133,060 → $111,147), while prices change by −0.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −16.4% in real buying power.
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Raleigh, NC: price level 98.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Merced, CA | Raleigh, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 98.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,880 in Raleigh | $100,120 in Merced |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,213/mo | $1,596/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,220 | $51,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC |
Rent areas: Merced, CA MSA and Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA. Metro areas: Merced, CA and Raleigh-Cary, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Merced | Raleigh |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 103.5 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 89.0 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 98.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Merced, CA → Raleigh, NC
Roughly even
Buying power +0.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$1,589/yr.
69 Fair offer
Raleigh, NC → Merced, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,589/yr.
68 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Merced, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Raleigh, NC is in Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Merced, CA to Raleigh, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Merced, CA | Raleigh, NC | Real change, Merced → Raleigh |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $64,453 | −16.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $77,983 | −16.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $93,468 | −16.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $111,147 | −16.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $131,342 | −16.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Merced, CA | Raleigh, NC | Raleigh pay in Merced dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,120 | $60,170 | $60,242 (−39.8%) |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $132,770 | $132,930 (+0.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,420 | $81,950 | $82,049 (+2.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,620 | $84,830 | $84,932 (−35.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.