City comparison
Las Vegas, NV vs Merced, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Las Vegas, NV are 2.0% higher than in Merced, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Merced, CA would need about $102,000 in Las Vegas, NV to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,478 a month in Las Vegas, NV versus $1,213 in Merced, CA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Las Vegas, NV and 20% in Merced, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Las Vegas, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +22.4% moving from Las Vegas, NV to Merced, CA ($108,719 → $133,060), while prices change by −1.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +24.8% in real buying power.
- Las Vegas, NV: price level 100.2 (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
| Las Vegas, NV | Merced, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,064 in Merced | $101,974 in Las Vegas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $1,213/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (NV) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,670 | $47,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA and Merced, CA MSA. Metro areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV and Merced, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Las Vegas | Merced |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.5 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 90.6 | 158.3 |
| Other services | 98.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Las Vegas, NV → Merced, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +2.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
75 Strong offer
Merced, CA → Las Vegas, NV
Roughly even
Buying power −1.9%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
63 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Las Vegas, NV is in the Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ pay area; Merced, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Las Vegas, NV to Merced, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Las Vegas, NV | Merced, CA | Real change, Las Vegas → Merced |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,046 | $77,161 | +24.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,280 | $93,358 | +24.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,427 | $111,896 | +24.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,719 | $133,060 | +24.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,473 | $157,236 | +24.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Las Vegas, NV | Merced, CA | Merced pay in Las Vegas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,040 | $100,120 | $102,096 (+57.0%) |
| Software Developers | $129,940 | $132,120 | $134,728 (+3.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,530 | $80,420 | $82,008 (+1.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,940 | $131,620 | $134,218 (+29.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.