City comparison
Merced, CA vs New York, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 14.5% higher than in Merced, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Merced, CA would need about $114,500 in New York, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,655 a month in New York, NY versus $1,213 in Merced, CA. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 20% in Merced, CA.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $5,070 a year in CA and $4,860 in NY.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.7% moving from Merced, CA to New York, NY ($133,060 → $125,431), while prices change by +14.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −17.7% in real buying power.
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Merced, CA | New York, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 112.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $114,539 in New York | $87,307 in Merced |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,213/mo | $2,655/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 43% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,220 | $61,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Merced, CA MSA and New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Merced, CA and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Merced | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 148.6 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 127.0 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 105.8 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 112.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Merced, CA → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.7%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax −$211/yr.
11 Weak offer
New York, NY → Merced, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$211/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Merced, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; New York, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Merced, CA to New York, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Merced, CA | New York, NY | Real change, Merced → New York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $72,737 | −17.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $88,005 | −17.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $105,481 | −17.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $125,431 | −17.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $148,222 | −17.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Merced, CA | New York, NY | New York pay in Merced dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,120 | $96,900 | $84,600 (−15.5%) |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $166,830 | $145,654 (+10.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,420 | $105,650 | $92,239 (+14.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,620 | $119,720 | $104,524 (−20.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.