City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Merced, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bakersfield, CA are 2.7% higher than in Merced, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Merced, CA would need about $102,700 in Bakersfield, CA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,213 a month in Merced, CA versus $1,140 in Bakersfield, CA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Merced, CA and 18% in Bakersfield, CA.
- Both are in CA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $5,070 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +7.2% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Merced, CA ($124,085 → $133,060), while prices change by −2.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.1% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (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
| Bakersfield, CA | Merced, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,412 in Merced | $102,657 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,213/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 | 18% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $47,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Merced, CA MSA. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Merced, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Merced |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 158.3 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Merced, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
77 Strong offer
Merced, CA → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
61 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Merced, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Merced, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Merced, CA | Real change, Bakersfield → Merced |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $77,161 | +10.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $93,358 | +10.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $111,896 | +10.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $133,060 | +10.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $157,236 | +10.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Merced, CA | Merced pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $100,120 | $102,780 (+28.6%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $132,120 | $135,630 (+4.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $80,420 | $82,557 (+3.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $131,620 | $135,117 (+4.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.