City comparison
Madison, WI vs Merced, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Merced, CA are 1.0% higher than in Madison, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Madison, WI would need about $101,000 in Merced, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,482 a month in Madison, WI versus $1,213 in Merced, CA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Madison, WI and 20% in Merced, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,151 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Madison, WI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Madison, WI to Merced, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +1.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +23.8% in real buying power.
- Madison, WI: price level 97.3 (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
| Madison, WI | Merced, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.3 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,016 in Merced | $98,995 in Madison |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,482/mo | $1,213/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,261 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,919 (WI) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $58,080 | $47,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Madison, WI HUD Metro FMR Area and Merced, CA MSA. Metro areas: Madison, WI and Merced, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Madison | Merced |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 99.7 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 89.8 | 158.3 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 97.3 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Madison, WI → Merced, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,151/yr.
66 Fair offer
Merced, CA → Madison, WI
Roughly even
Buying power +1.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,151/yr.
72 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Madison, WI 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 Madison, WI to Merced, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Madison, WI | Merced, CA | Real change, Madison → Merced |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +23.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +23.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +23.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +23.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +23.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Madison, WI | Merced, CA | Merced pay in Madison dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,690 | $100,120 | $99,113 (+55.6%) |
| Software Developers | $130,630 | $132,120 | $130,792 (+0.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,130 | $80,420 | $79,612 (−1.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,190 | $131,620 | $130,297 (+28.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.