City comparison
Merced, CA vs Youngstown, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Merced, CA are 12.5% higher than in Youngstown, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Youngstown, OH would need about $112,500 in Merced, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,213 a month in Merced, CA versus $771 in Youngstown, OH. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Merced, CA and 12% in Youngstown, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,103 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Youngstown, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −16.5% moving from Merced, CA to Youngstown, OH ($133,060 → $111,138), while prices change by −11.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.1% in real buying power.
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Youngstown, OH: price level 87.4 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Merced, CA | Youngstown, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 87.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $88,928 in Youngstown | $112,451 in Merced |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,213/mo | $771/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 12% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,220 | $43,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA |
Rent areas: Merced, CA MSA and Youngstown-Warren, OH MSA. Metro areas: Merced, CA and Youngstown-Warren, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Merced | Youngstown |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 53.4 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 96.3 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 87.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Merced, CA → Youngstown, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.5%; rent takes 12% of take-home; state tax −$3,103/yr.
100 Strong offer
Youngstown, OH → Merced, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,103/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Merced, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Youngstown, OH is in Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Merced, CA to Youngstown, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Merced, CA | Youngstown, OH | Real change, Merced → Youngstown |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $64,448 | −6.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $77,977 | −6.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $93,461 | −6.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $111,138 | −6.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $131,331 | −6.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Merced, CA | Youngstown, OH | Youngstown pay in Merced dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,120 | $72,560 | $81,594 (−18.5%) |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $107,990 | $121,435 (−8.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,420 | $73,080 | $82,179 (+2.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,620 | $78,680 | $88,476 (−32.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.