City comparison
Detroit, MI vs Merced, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Detroit, MI are 2.1% higher than in Merced, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Merced, CA would need about $102,100 in Detroit, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,213 a month in Merced, CA versus $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Merced, CA and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,071 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Detroit, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +13.3% moving from Detroit, MI to Merced, CA ($117,402 → $133,060), while prices change by −2.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +15.7% in real buying power.
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (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
| Detroit, MI | Merced, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,983 in Merced | $102,059 in Detroit |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,122/mo | $1,213/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,080 | $47,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Merced, CA MSA. Metro areas: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and Merced, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Detroit | Merced |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.7 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 98.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 158.3 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Detroit, MI → Merced, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,071/yr.
75 Strong offer
Merced, CA → Detroit, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,071/yr.
62 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Detroit, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Merced, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Detroit, MI to Merced, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Detroit, MI | Merced, CA | Real change, Detroit → Merced |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $77,161 | +15.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $93,358 | +15.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $111,896 | +15.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $133,060 | +15.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $157,236 | +15.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Detroit, MI | Merced, CA | Merced pay in Detroit dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,210 | $100,120 | $102,181 (+56.7%) |
| Software Developers | $130,760 | $132,120 | $134,840 (+3.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,650 | $80,420 | $82,075 (+1.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,280 | $131,620 | $134,329 (+38.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.