City comparison
Chicago, IL vs Merced, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Chicago, IL are 5.4% higher than in Merced, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Merced, CA would need about $105,400 in Chicago, IL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,581 a month in Chicago, IL versus $1,213 in Merced, CA. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Chicago, IL and 20% in Merced, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $265 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Chicago, IL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.8% moving from Chicago, IL to Merced, CA ($118,984 → $133,060), while prices change by −5.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +17.9% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (pricier)
- 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
| Chicago, IL | Merced, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,865 in Merced | $105,413 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $1,213/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $47,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Merced, CA MSA. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Merced, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | Merced |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 158.3 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → Merced, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$265/yr.
86 Strong offer
Merced, CA → Chicago, IL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.1%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$265/yr.
52 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Merced, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to Merced, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | Merced, CA | Real change, Chicago → Merced |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $77,161 | +17.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $93,358 | +17.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $111,896 | +17.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $133,060 | +17.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $157,236 | +17.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | Merced, CA | Merced pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,390 | $100,120 | $105,540 (+34.6%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $132,120 | $139,272 (+3.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $80,420 | $84,773 (+2.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $131,620 | $138,745 (+38.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.