City comparison
Cincinnati, 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 3.0% higher than in Cincinnati, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cincinnati, OH would need about $103,000 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 $1,051 in Cincinnati, OH. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Merced, CA and 16% in Cincinnati, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,103 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Cincinnati, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +20.0% moving from Cincinnati, OH to Merced, CA ($110,865 → $133,060), while prices change by +3.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +16.5% in real buying power.
- Cincinnati, OH: price level 95.4 (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
| Cincinnati, OH | Merced, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.4 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,046 in Merced | $97,044 in Cincinnati |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,051/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 | 16% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,170 | $47,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and Merced, CA MSA. Metro areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN and Merced, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cincinnati | Merced |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.6 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 91.0 | 158.3 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 95.4 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cincinnati, OH → Merced, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,103/yr.
60 Fair offer
Merced, CA → Cincinnati, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$3,103/yr.
78 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cincinnati, OH is in the Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN pay area; Merced, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Cincinnati, OH to Merced, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cincinnati, OH | Merced, CA | Real change, Cincinnati → Merced |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,290 | $77,161 | +16.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,785 | $93,358 | +16.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,231 | $111,896 | +16.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,865 | $133,060 | +16.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,009 | $157,236 | +16.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cincinnati, OH | Merced, CA | Merced pay in Cincinnati dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,740 | $100,120 | $97,160 (+50.1%) |
| Software Developers | $121,420 | $132,120 | $128,215 (+5.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,640 | $80,420 | $78,043 (−3.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,650 | $131,620 | $127,729 (+52.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.