City comparison
Merced, CA vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 2.1% higher than in Merced, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Merced, CA would need about $102,100 in Spokane, WA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,213 a month in Merced, CA and $1,193 in Spokane, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −19.6% moving from Merced, CA to Spokane, WA ($133,060 → $106,991), while prices change by +2.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −21.3% in real buying power.
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Spokane, WA: price level 100.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Merced, CA | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,107 in Spokane | $97,936 in Merced |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,213/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,220 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Merced, CA MSA and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Merced, CA and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Merced | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Merced, CA → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
62 Fair offer
Spokane, WA → Merced, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
75 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Merced, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Merced, CA to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Merced, CA | Spokane, WA | Real change, Merced → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $62,044 | −21.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $75,068 | −21.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $89,974 | −21.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $106,991 | −21.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $126,432 | −21.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Merced, CA | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Merced dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,120 | $98,800 | $96,761 (−3.4%) |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $130,690 | $127,993 (−3.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,420 | $86,350 | $84,568 (+5.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,620 | $111,750 | $109,444 (−16.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.