City comparison
Houston, TX vs Merced, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Houston, TX (98.6) and Merced, CA (98.3, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Houston, TX goes as far as $99,600 in Merced, CA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,323 a month in Houston, TX versus $1,213 in Merced, CA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 20% in Merced, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.4% moving from Houston, TX to Merced, CA ($122,749 → $133,060), while prices change by −0.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.8% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (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
| Houston, TX | Merced, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,641 in Merced | $100,360 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/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 | 20% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $47,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Houston-The Woodlands, TX | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Merced, CA MSA. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Merced, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Merced |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 158.3 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Merced, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
70 Fair offer
Merced, CA → Houston, TX
Roughly even
Buying power −0.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
68 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Merced, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Merced, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Merced, CA | Real change, Houston → Merced |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $77,161 | +8.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $93,358 | +8.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $111,896 | +8.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $133,060 | +8.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $157,236 | +8.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Merced, CA | Merced pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $100,120 | $100,481 (+55.8%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $132,120 | $132,596 (+2.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $80,420 | $80,710 (−5.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $131,620 | $132,094 (+32.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.