City comparison
Merced, CA vs Stockton, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Stockton, CA are 6.9% higher than in Merced, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Merced, CA would need about $106,900 in Stockton, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,395 a month in Stockton, CA versus $1,213 in Merced, CA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Stockton, 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 Stockton, CA changes real buying power by −6.5%, purely from prices.
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Stockton, CA: price level 105.1 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Merced, CA | Stockton, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 105.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,934 in Stockton | $93,516 in Merced |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,213/mo | $1,395/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% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,220 | $48,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Merced, CA MSA and Stockton-Lodi, CA MSA. Metro areas: Merced, CA and Stockton-Lodi, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Merced | Stockton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 115.6 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 158.2 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 105.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Merced, CA → Stockton, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.5%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
48 Fair offer
Stockton, CA → Merced, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.9%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
90 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 Stockton, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Merced, CA | Stockton, CA | Real change, Merced → Stockton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $77,161 | −6.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $93,358 | −6.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $111,896 | −6.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $133,060 | −6.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $157,236 | −6.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Merced, CA | Stockton, CA | Stockton pay in Merced dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,120 | $97,400 | $91,085 (−9.0%) |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $138,550 | $129,566 (−1.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,420 | $83,570 | $78,151 (−2.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,620 | $134,580 | $125,854 (−4.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.