City comparison
Merced, CA vs Philadelphia, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Philadelphia, PA are 4.4% higher than in Merced, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Merced, CA would need about $104,400 in Philadelphia, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,520 a month in Philadelphia, PA versus $1,213 in Merced, CA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Philadelphia, PA and 20% in Merced, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Philadelphia, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.9% moving from Merced, CA to Philadelphia, PA ($133,060 → $117,284), while prices change by +4.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −15.5% in real buying power.
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Philadelphia, PA: price level 102.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Merced, CA | Philadelphia, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 102.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,354 in Philadelphia | $95,828 in Merced |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,213/mo | $1,520/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,220 | $54,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Merced, CA MSA and Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MSA. Metro areas: Merced, CA and Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Merced | Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 113.1 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 114.4 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 103.1 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 102.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Merced, CA → Philadelphia, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.2%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$2,000/yr.
56 Fair offer
Philadelphia, PA → Merced, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
82 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Merced, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Philadelphia, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Merced, CA to Philadelphia, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Merced, CA | Philadelphia, PA | Real change, Merced → Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $68,013 | −15.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $82,289 | −15.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $98,630 | −15.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $117,284 | −15.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $138,595 | −15.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Merced, CA | Philadelphia, PA | Philadelphia pay in Merced dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,120 | $78,570 | $75,292 (−24.8%) |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $133,040 | $127,489 (−3.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,420 | $85,990 | $82,402 (+2.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,620 | $101,180 | $96,958 (−26.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.