City comparison
Columbus, GA vs Merced, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Merced, CA are 10.1% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $110,100 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 $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Merced, CA and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $503 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Columbus, GA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +18.2% moving from Columbus, GA to Merced, CA ($112,556 → $133,060), while prices change by +10.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.4% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (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
| Columbus, GA | Merced, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,055 in Merced | $90,863 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/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 | 15% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $47,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Merced, CA MSA. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and Merced, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Merced |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 158.3 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → Merced, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$503/yr.
40 Weak offer
Merced, CA → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.1%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$503/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, 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 Columbus, GA to Merced, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | Merced, CA | Real change, Columbus → Merced |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $77,161 | +7.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $93,358 | +7.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $111,896 | +7.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $133,060 | +7.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $157,236 | +7.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | Merced, CA | Merced pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $100,120 | $90,972 (+48.3%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $132,120 | $120,049 (+3.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $80,420 | $73,072 (−0.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $131,620 | $119,594 (+45.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.