City comparison
Merced, CA vs Mobile, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Merced, CA are 11.6% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $111,600 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 $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Merced, CA and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $335 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Mobile, AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −20.0% moving from Merced, CA to Mobile, AL ($133,060 → $106,437), while prices change by −10.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.8% in real buying power.
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Merced, CA | Mobile, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 88.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $89,644 in Mobile | $111,552 in Merced |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,213/mo | $919/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,220 | $47,000 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Merced, CA MSA and Mobile, AL MSA. Metro areas: Merced, CA and Mobile, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Merced | Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 60.1 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 84.2 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 88.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Merced, CA → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.6%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$335/yr.
100 Strong offer
Mobile, AL → Merced, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$335/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Merced, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Mobile, AL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Merced, CA to Mobile, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Merced, CA | Mobile, AL | Real change, Merced → Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $61,722 | −10.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $74,678 | −10.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $89,508 | −10.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $106,437 | −10.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $125,776 | −10.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Merced, CA | Mobile, AL | Mobile pay in Merced dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,120 | $60,970 | $68,013 (−32.1%) |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $122,540 | $136,696 (+3.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,420 | $72,130 | $80,462 (+0.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,620 | $79,490 | $88,673 (−32.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.