City comparison
Akron, OH vs Merced, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Merced, CA are 5.3% higher than in Akron, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Akron, OH would need about $105,300 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 $985 in Akron, OH. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Merced, CA and 15% in Akron, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,103 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Akron, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +19.7% moving from Akron, OH to Merced, CA ($111,138 → $133,060), while prices change by +5.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +13.7% in real buying power.
- Akron, OH: price level 93.4 (cheaper)
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Akron, OH | Merced, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.4 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,253 in Merced | $95,009 in Akron |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $985/mo | $1,213/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,840 | $47,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Akron, OH MSA and Merced, CA MSA. Metro areas: Akron, OH and Merced, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Akron | Merced |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 96.4 | 158.3 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 93.4 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Akron, OH → Merced, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,103/yr.
53 Fair offer
Merced, CA → Akron, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$3,103/yr.
85 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Akron, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Merced, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Akron, OH to Merced, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Akron, OH | Merced, CA | Real change, Akron → Merced |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $77,161 | +13.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $93,358 | +13.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $111,896 | +13.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $133,060 | +13.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $157,236 | +13.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Akron, OH | Merced, CA | Merced pay in Akron dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,560 | $100,120 | $95,123 (+21.1%) |
| Software Developers | $105,430 | $132,120 | $125,526 (+19.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,540 | $80,420 | $76,406 (−2.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,770 | $131,620 | $125,051 (+54.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.