City comparison
Merced, CA vs Reno, NV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Reno, NV are 2.8% higher than in Merced, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Merced, CA would need about $102,800 in Reno, NV to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,489 a month in Reno, NV versus $1,213 in Merced, CA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Reno, NV and 20% in Merced, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Reno, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −19.7% moving from Merced, CA to Reno, NV ($133,060 → $106,855), while prices change by +2.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −21.9% in real buying power.
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Reno, NV: price level 101.0 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Merced, CA | Reno, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 101.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,787 in Reno | $97,288 in Merced |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,213/mo | $1,489/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,220 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Reno-Fernley, NV |
Rent areas: Merced, CA MSA and Reno, NV HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Merced, CA and Reno, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Merced | Reno |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 123.5 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 101.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Merced, CA → Reno, NV
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.7%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
60 Fair offer
Reno, NV → Merced, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
77 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Merced, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Reno, NV is in Reno-Fernley, NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Merced, CA to Reno, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Merced, CA | Reno, NV | Real change, Merced → Reno |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $61,965 | −21.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $74,972 | −21.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $89,859 | −21.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $106,855 | −21.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $126,271 | −21.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Merced, CA | Reno, NV | Reno pay in Merced dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,120 | $62,430 | $60,737 (−39.3%) |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $125,710 | $122,301 (−7.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,420 | $82,370 | $80,137 (−0.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,620 | $107,520 | $104,605 (−20.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.