City comparison
Merced, CA vs Riverside, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Riverside, CA are 8.3% higher than in Merced, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Merced, CA would need about $108,300 in Riverside, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,777 a month in Riverside, CA versus $1,213 in Merced, CA. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 20% in Merced, CA.
- Both are in CA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $5,070 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −6.7% moving from Merced, CA to Riverside, CA ($133,060 → $124,085), while prices change by +8.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −13.9% in real buying power.
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Riverside, CA: price level 106.4 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Merced, CA | Riverside, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 106.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,310 in Riverside | $92,327 in Merced |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,213/mo | $1,777/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 29% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,220 | $48,400 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Merced, CA MSA and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA. Metro areas: Merced, CA and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Merced | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 129.3 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 101.4 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 101.3 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 106.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Merced, CA → Riverside, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.7%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
39 Weak offer
Riverside, CA → Merced, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
95 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Merced, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Riverside, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Merced, CA to Riverside, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Merced, CA | Riverside, CA | Real change, Merced → Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $71,957 | −13.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $87,061 | −13.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $104,349 | −13.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $124,085 | −13.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $146,632 | −13.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Merced, CA | Riverside, CA | Riverside pay in Merced dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,120 | $98,520 | $90,961 (−9.1%) |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $133,270 | $123,045 (−6.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,420 | $83,920 | $77,481 (−3.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,620 | $133,940 | $123,663 (−6.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.