City comparison
El Paso, 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 9.3% higher than in El Paso, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in El Paso, TX would need about $109,300 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 $1,013 in El Paso, TX. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Merced, CA and 15% in El Paso, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Merced, CA than in El Paso, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from El Paso, TX to Merced, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +9.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +14.4% in real buying power.
- El Paso, TX: price level 89.9 (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
| El Paso, TX | Merced, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.9 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,301 in Merced | $91,490 in El Paso |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,013/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 | 15% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $39,510 | $47,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: El Paso, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Merced, CA MSA. Metro areas: El Paso, TX and Merced, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | El Paso | Merced |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.2 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 82.6 | 158.3 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 89.9 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
El Paso, TX → Merced, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
42 Weak offer
Merced, CA → El Paso, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
98 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
El Paso, 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 El Paso, TX to Merced, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | El Paso, TX | Merced, CA | Real change, El Paso → Merced |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +14.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +14.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +14.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +14.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +14.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | El Paso, TX | Merced, CA | Merced pay in El Paso dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,800 | $100,120 | $91,600 (+43.6%) |
| Software Developers | $127,310 | $132,120 | $120,877 (−5.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,990 | $80,420 | $73,576 (+11.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $86,100 | $131,620 | $120,419 (+39.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.