City comparison
Merced, CA vs Nashville, TN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Merced, CA are 2.0% higher than in Nashville, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Nashville, TN would need about $102,000 in Merced, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,578 a month in Nashville, TN versus $1,213 in Merced, CA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Nashville, TN and 20% in Merced, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Nashville, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −20.0% moving from Merced, CA to Nashville, TN ($133,060 → $106,437), while prices change by −2.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −18.4% in real buying power.
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Nashville, TN: price level 96.3 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Merced, CA | Nashville, TN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 96.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,029 in Nashville | $102,011 in Merced |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,213/mo | $1,578/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $0 (TN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,220 | $50,390 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Merced, CA MSA and Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Merced, CA and Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Merced | Nashville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 104.6 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 72.0 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 95.1 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 96.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Merced, CA → Nashville, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
75 Strong offer
Nashville, TN → Merced, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −2.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
63 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Merced, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Nashville, TN is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Merced, CA to Nashville, TN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Merced, CA | Nashville, TN | Real change, Merced → Nashville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $61,722 | −18.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $74,678 | −18.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $89,508 | −18.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $106,437 | −18.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $125,776 | −18.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Merced, CA | Nashville, TN | Nashville pay in Merced dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,120 | $61,460 | $62,696 (−37.4%) |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $126,610 | $129,156 (−2.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,420 | $78,080 | $79,650 (−1.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,620 | $84,040 | $85,730 (−34.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.