City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Merced, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlanta, GA are 1.8% higher than in Merced, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Merced, CA would need about $101,800 in Atlanta, GA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,660 a month in Atlanta, GA versus $1,213 in Merced, CA. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 20% in Merced, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $503 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Atlanta, GA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +18.2% moving from Atlanta, GA to Merced, CA ($112,556 → $133,060), while prices change by −1.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +20.4% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- 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
| Atlanta, GA | Merced, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,218 in Merced | $101,814 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,213/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $47,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Merced, CA MSA. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Merced, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Merced |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 158.3 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Merced, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$503/yr.
74 Strong offer
Merced, CA → Atlanta, GA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.8%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax −$503/yr.
61 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Merced, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Merced, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Merced, CA | Real change, Atlanta → Merced |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $77,161 | +20.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $93,358 | +20.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $111,896 | +20.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $133,060 | +20.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $157,236 | +20.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Merced, CA | Merced pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $100,120 | $101,936 (+33.1%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $132,120 | $134,517 (+1.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $80,420 | $81,879 (−4.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $131,620 | $134,008 (+33.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.