City comparison
Merced, CA vs Roanoke, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Merced, CA are 5.0% higher than in Roanoke, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Roanoke, VA would need about $105,000 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 $1,053 in Roanoke, VA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Merced, CA and 17% in Roanoke, VA.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $5,070 a year in CA and $4,936 in VA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −20.0% moving from Merced, CA to Roanoke, VA ($133,060 → $106,437), while prices change by −4.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −16.0% in real buying power.
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Roanoke, VA: price level 93.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Merced, CA | Roanoke, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 93.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,261 in Roanoke | $104,974 in Merced |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,213/mo | $1,053/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,220 | $47,140 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Merced, CA MSA and Roanoke, VA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Merced, CA and Roanoke, VA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Merced | Roanoke |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 78.5 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 88.9 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 93.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Merced, CA → Roanoke, VA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.0%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$135/yr.
84 Strong offer
Roanoke, VA → Merced, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$135/yr.
54 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Merced, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Roanoke, VA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Merced, CA to Roanoke, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Merced, CA | Roanoke, VA | Real change, Merced → Roanoke |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $61,722 | −16.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $74,678 | −16.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $89,508 | −16.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $106,437 | −16.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $125,776 | −16.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Merced, CA | Roanoke, VA | Roanoke pay in Merced dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,120 | $62,010 | $65,095 (−35.0%) |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $121,110 | $127,135 (−3.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,420 | $77,240 | $81,082 (+0.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,620 | $80,090 | $84,074 (−36.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.