City comparison
Merced, CA vs Salinas, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salinas, CA are 11.0% higher than in Merced, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Merced, CA would need about $111,000 in Salinas, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,232 a month in Salinas, CA versus $1,213 in Merced, CA. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Salinas, 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.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $133,060 in either. A transfer from Merced, CA to Salinas, CA changes real buying power by −9.9%, purely from prices.
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Salinas, CA: price level 109.0 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Merced, CA | Salinas, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 109.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,956 in Salinas | $90,126 in Merced |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,213/mo | $2,232/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% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,220 | $47,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Merced, CA MSA and Salinas, CA MSA. Metro areas: Merced, CA and Salinas, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Merced | Salinas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 145.7 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 154.2 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 109.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Merced, CA → Salinas, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.9%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
21 Weak offer
Salinas, CA → Merced, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Merced, CA to Salinas, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Merced, CA | Salinas, CA | Real change, Merced → Salinas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $77,161 | −9.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $93,358 | −9.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $111,896 | −9.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $133,060 | −9.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $157,236 | −9.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Merced, CA | Salinas, CA | Salinas pay in Merced dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,120 | $100,220 | $90,324 (−9.8%) |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $135,160 | $121,814 (−7.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,420 | $83,810 | $75,534 (−6.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,620 | $134,910 | $121,589 (−7.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.