City comparison
Merced, CA vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Merced, CA are 3.8% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $103,800 in Merced, CA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,213 a month in Merced, CA and $1,177 in San Antonio, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Merced, CA than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −18.8% moving from Merced, CA to San Antonio, TX ($133,060 → $108,001), while prices change by −3.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −15.8% in real buying power.
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Merced, CA | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,379 in San Antonio | $103,758 in Merced |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,213/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,220 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Merced, CA MSA and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Merced, CA and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Merced | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Merced, CA → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
80 Strong offer
San Antonio, TX → Merced, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
57 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Merced, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Merced, CA to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Merced, CA | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Merced → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $62,629 | −15.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $75,776 | −15.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $90,823 | −15.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $108,001 | −15.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $127,624 | −15.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Merced, CA | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Merced dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,120 | $61,720 | $64,039 (−36.0%) |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $128,430 | $133,256 (+0.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,420 | $78,650 | $81,605 (+1.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,620 | $94,370 | $97,916 (−25.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.