City comparison
Manchester, NH vs Merced, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Manchester, NH are 7.5% higher than in Merced, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Merced, CA would need about $107,500 in Manchester, NH to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,552 a month in Manchester, NH versus $1,213 in Merced, CA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Manchester, NH and 20% in Merced, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Manchester, NH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.4% moving from Manchester, NH to Merced, CA ($120,548 → $133,060), while prices change by −7.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +18.7% in real buying power.
- Manchester, NH: price level 105.7 (pricier)
- 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
| Manchester, NH | Merced, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.7 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,013 in Merced | $107,512 in Manchester |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,552/mo | $1,213/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (NH) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,530 | $47,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Manchester, NH HUD Metro FMR Area and Merced, CA MSA. Metro areas: Manchester-Nashua, NH and Merced, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Manchester | Merced |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 134.2 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 97.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 133.5 | 158.3 |
| Other services | 103.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 105.7 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Manchester, NH → Merced, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
92 Strong offer
Merced, CA → Manchester, NH
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
47 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Manchester, NH is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Merced, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Manchester, NH to Merced, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Manchester, NH | Merced, CA | Real change, Manchester → Merced |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $77,161 | +18.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $93,358 | +18.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $111,896 | +18.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $133,060 | +18.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $157,236 | +18.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Manchester, NH | Merced, CA | Merced pay in Manchester dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $73,380 | $100,120 | $107,641 (+46.7%) |
| Software Developers | $162,090 | $132,120 | $142,044 (−12.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,660 | $80,420 | $86,461 (+3.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,600 | $131,620 | $141,507 (+43.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.