City comparison
Merced, CA vs Worcester, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Worcester, MA are 4.3% higher than in Merced, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Merced, CA would need about $104,300 in Worcester, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,599 a month in Worcester, MA versus $1,213 in Merced, CA. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Worcester, MA and 20% in Merced, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $290 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Worcester, MA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.4% moving from Merced, CA to Worcester, MA ($133,060 → $120,548), while prices change by +4.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −13.2% in real buying power.
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Worcester, MA: price level 102.5 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Merced, CA | Worcester, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 102.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,323 in Worcester | $95,857 in Merced |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,213/mo | $1,599/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% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,220 | $57,830 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Merced, CA MSA and Worcester, MA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Merced, CA and Worcester, MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Merced | Worcester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 113.0 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 97.0 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 155.2 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 101.2 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 102.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Merced, CA → Worcester, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.1%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$290/yr.
55 Fair offer
Worcester, MA → Merced, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$290/yr.
82 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Merced, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Worcester, MA is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Merced, CA to Worcester, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Merced, CA | Worcester, MA | Real change, Merced → Worcester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $69,905 | −13.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $84,579 | −13.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $101,375 | −13.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $120,548 | −13.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $142,452 | −13.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Merced, CA | Worcester, MA | Worcester pay in Merced dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,120 | $82,810 | $79,379 (−20.7%) |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $146,950 | $140,861 (+6.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,420 | $94,070 | $90,172 (+12.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,620 | $100,240 | $96,087 (−27.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.