City comparison
Merced, CA vs Springfield, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Merced, CA are 2.3% higher than in Springfield, MA. Someone earning $100,000 in Springfield, MA would need about $102,300 in Merced, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,382 a month in Springfield, MA versus $1,213 in Merced, CA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Springfield, MA and 20% in Merced, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $290 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Springfield, MA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.7% moving from Merced, CA to Springfield, MA ($133,060 → $120,094), while prices change by −2.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.7% in real buying power.
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Springfield, MA: price level 96.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Merced, CA | Springfield, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 96.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,747 in Springfield | $102,305 in Merced |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,213/mo | $1,382/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,220 | $51,930 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Merced, CA MSA and Springfield, MA MSA. Metro areas: Merced, CA and Springfield, MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Merced | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 75.8 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 97.0 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 101.2 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 96.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Merced, CA → Springfield, MA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.3%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$290/yr.
76 Strong offer
Springfield, MA → Merced, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$290/yr.
62 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Merced, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Springfield, MA is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Merced, CA to Springfield, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Merced, CA | Springfield, MA | Real change, Merced → Springfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $69,642 | −7.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $84,260 | −7.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $100,992 | −7.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $120,094 | −7.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $141,915 | −7.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Merced, CA | Springfield, MA | Springfield pay in Merced dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,120 | $79,640 | $81,476 (−18.6%) |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $127,740 | $130,684 (−1.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,420 | $92,010 | $94,131 (+17.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,620 | $98,410 | $100,678 (−23.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.