City comparison
Louisville, KY vs Merced, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Merced, CA are 5.6% higher than in Louisville, KY. Someone earning $100,000 in Louisville, KY would need about $105,600 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 $1,047 in Louisville, KY. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Merced, CA and 17% in Louisville, KY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,688 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Louisville, KY.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Louisville, KY to Merced, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +5.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +18.4% in real buying power.
- Louisville, KY: price level 93.1 (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
| Louisville, KY | Merced, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,588 in Merced | $94,708 in Louisville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,047/mo | $1,213/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,798 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,382 (KY) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,370 | $47,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Louisville, KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and Merced, CA MSA. Metro areas: Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN and Merced, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Louisville | Merced |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 75.0 | 158.3 |
| Other services | 96.8 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Louisville, KY → Merced, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,688/yr.
52 Fair offer
Merced, CA → Louisville, KY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.6%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,688/yr.
86 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Louisville, KY 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 Louisville, KY to Merced, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Louisville, KY | Merced, CA | Real change, Louisville → Merced |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +18.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +18.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +18.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +18.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +18.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Louisville, KY | Merced, CA | Merced pay in Louisville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,610 | $100,120 | $94,821 (+53.9%) |
| Software Developers | $110,270 | $132,120 | $125,128 (+13.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,320 | $80,420 | $76,164 (−0.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,850 | $131,620 | $124,654 (+46.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.