City comparison
Merced, CA vs Provo, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Merced, CA (98.3) and Provo, UT (98.2, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Merced, CA goes as far as $100,000 in Provo, UT.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,213 a month in Merced, CA and $1,265 in Provo, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,536 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Provo, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −20.0% moving from Merced, CA to Provo, UT ($133,060 → $106,437), while prices change by −0.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −20.0% in real buying power.
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Provo, UT: price level 98.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Merced, CA | Provo, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 98.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,956 in Provo | $100,044 in Merced |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,213/mo | $1,265/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,220 | $48,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Merced, CA MSA and Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT MSA. Metro areas: Merced, CA and Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Merced | Provo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 104.1 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 78.6 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 98.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Merced, CA → Provo, UT
Roughly even
Buying power +0.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,536/yr.
69 Fair offer
Provo, UT → Merced, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,536/yr.
69 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Merced, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Provo, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Merced, CA to Provo, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Merced, CA | Provo, UT | Real change, Merced → Provo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $61,722 | −20.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $74,678 | −20.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $89,508 | −20.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $106,437 | −20.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $125,776 | −20.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Merced, CA | Provo, UT | Provo pay in Merced dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,120 | $62,930 | $62,958 (−37.1%) |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $131,210 | $131,267 (−0.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,420 | $75,700 | $75,733 (−5.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,620 | $81,780 | $81,816 (−37.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.