City comparison
Merced, CA vs Reading, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Merced, CA are 1.3% higher than in Reading, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Reading, PA would need about $101,300 in Merced, CA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,213 a month in Merced, CA and $1,237 in Reading, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.9% moving from Merced, CA to Reading, PA ($133,060 → $117,284), while prices change by −1.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.8% in real buying power.
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Merced, CA | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,764 in Reading | $101,252 in Merced |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,213/mo | $1,237/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% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,220 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Merced, CA MSA and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: Merced, CA and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Merced | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Merced, CA → Reading, PA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$2,000/yr.
73 Strong offer
Reading, PA → Merced, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.2%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
65 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Merced, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Reading, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Merced, CA to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Merced, CA | Reading, PA | Real change, Merced → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $68,013 | −10.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $82,289 | −10.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $98,630 | −10.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $117,284 | −10.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $138,595 | −10.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Merced, CA | Reading, PA | Reading pay in Merced dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,120 | $79,860 | $80,860 (−19.2%) |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $120,920 | $122,434 (−7.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,420 | $75,550 | $76,496 (−4.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,620 | $98,470 | $99,703 (−24.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.