City comparison
Merced, CA vs South Bend, IN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Merced, CA are 5.8% higher than in South Bend, IN. Someone earning $100,000 in South Bend, IN would need about $105,800 in Merced, CA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,213 a month in Merced, CA versus $1,105 in South Bend, IN. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Merced, CA and 17% in South Bend, IN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,150 a year higher in Merced, CA than in South Bend, IN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −20.0% moving from Merced, CA to South Bend, IN ($133,060 → $106,437), while prices change by −5.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −15.3% in real buying power.
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- South Bend, IN: price level 92.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Merced, CA | South Bend, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 92.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,488 in South Bend | $105,834 in Merced |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,213/mo | $1,105/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $76,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $2,921 (IN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,220 | $46,540 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Merced, CA MSA and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Merced, CA and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Merced | South Bend |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 74.6 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 94.2 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 87.7 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 99.2 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 92.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Merced, CA → South Bend, IN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.8%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,150/yr.
87 Strong offer
South Bend, IN → Merced, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$2,150/yr.
52 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Merced, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; South Bend, IN is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Merced, CA to South Bend, IN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Merced, CA | South Bend, IN | Real change, Merced → South Bend |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $61,722 | −15.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $74,678 | −15.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $89,508 | −15.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $106,437 | −15.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $125,776 | −15.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Merced, CA | South Bend, IN | South Bend pay in Merced dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,120 | $58,180 | $61,574 (−38.5%) |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $95,500 | $101,071 (−23.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,420 | $77,940 | $82,487 (+2.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,620 | $93,540 | $98,997 (−24.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.