City comparison
Merced, CA vs Sacramento, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 8.5% higher than in Merced, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Merced, CA would need about $108,500 in Sacramento, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,832 a month in Sacramento, CA versus $1,213 in Merced, CA. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 20% in Merced, CA.
- Both are in CA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $5,070 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.3% moving from Merced, CA to Sacramento, CA ($133,060 → $117,984), while prices change by +8.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −18.3% in real buying power.
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Sacramento, CA: price level 106.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Merced, CA | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 106.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,542 in Sacramento | $92,130 in Merced |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,213/mo | $1,832/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,220 | $59,750 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV |
Rent areas: Merced, CA MSA and Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Merced, CA and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Merced | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 130.2 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 151.3 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 106.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Merced, CA → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.9%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
37 Weak offer
Sacramento, CA → Merced, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
95 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Merced, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Sacramento, CA is in Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Merced, CA to Sacramento, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Merced, CA | Sacramento, CA | Real change, Merced → Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $68,419 | −18.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $82,780 | −18.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $99,218 | −18.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $117,984 | −18.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $139,422 | −18.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Merced, CA | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento pay in Merced dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,120 | $103,390 | $95,253 (−4.9%) |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $139,640 | $128,650 (−2.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,420 | $92,110 | $84,861 (+5.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,620 | $171,460 | $157,966 (+20.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.