City comparison
Brownsville, TX vs Merced, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Merced, CA are 14.3% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $114,300 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 $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Merced, CA and 13% in Brownsville, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Brownsville, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Brownsville, TX to Merced, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +14.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.4% in real buying power.
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (much 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
| Brownsville, TX | Merced, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.0 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $114,306 in Merced | $87,484 in Brownsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $866/mo | $1,213/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $36,490 | $47,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA and Merced, CA MSA. Metro areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX and Merced, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Brownsville | Merced |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 57.7 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 158.3 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 86.0 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Brownsville, TX → Merced, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
38 Weak offer
Merced, CA → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.3%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Brownsville, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Merced, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Brownsville, TX to Merced, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Brownsville, TX | Merced, CA | Real change, Brownsville → Merced |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +9.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +9.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +9.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +9.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +9.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Brownsville, TX | Merced, CA | Merced pay in Brownsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,350 | $100,120 | $87,589 (+38.3%) |
| Software Developers | $106,990 | $132,120 | $115,584 (+8.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $66,440 | $80,420 | $70,355 (+5.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,090 | $131,620 | $115,147 (+42.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.