City comparison
Merced, CA vs Providence, RI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Providence, RI are 3.6% higher than in Merced, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Merced, CA would need about $103,600 in Providence, RI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,402 a month in Providence, RI versus $1,213 in Merced, CA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Providence, RI and 20% in Merced, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,922 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Providence, RI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.4% moving from Merced, CA to Providence, RI ($133,060 → $120,548), while prices change by +3.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.5% in real buying power.
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Providence, RI: price level 101.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Merced, CA | Providence, RI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 101.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,559 in Providence | $96,563 in Merced |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,213/mo | $1,402/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $76,032 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,148 (RI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,220 | $53,680 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Merced, CA MSA and Providence-Fall River, RI-MA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Merced, CA and Providence-Warwick, RI-MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Merced | Providence |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 103.9 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 97.1 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 148.8 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 102.3 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 101.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Merced, CA → Providence, RI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.4%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$1,922/yr.
58 Fair offer
Providence, RI → Merced, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,922/yr.
80 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Merced, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Providence, RI is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Merced, CA to Providence, RI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Merced, CA | Providence, RI | Real change, Merced → Providence |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $69,905 | −12.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $84,579 | −12.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $101,375 | −12.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $120,548 | −12.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $142,452 | −12.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Merced, CA | Providence, RI | Providence pay in Merced dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,120 | $86,720 | $83,739 (−16.4%) |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $130,690 | $126,198 (−4.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,420 | $95,020 | $91,754 (+14.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,620 | $99,880 | $96,447 (−26.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.