City comparison
Merced, CA vs Rockford, IL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Merced, CA are 6.6% higher than in Rockford, IL. Someone earning $100,000 in Rockford, IL would need about $106,600 in Merced, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,213 a month in Merced, CA versus $895 in Rockford, IL. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Merced, CA and 14% in Rockford, IL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $265 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Rockford, IL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.6% moving from Merced, CA to Rockford, IL ($133,060 → $118,984), while prices change by −6.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.6% in real buying power.
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Rockford, IL: price level 92.2 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Merced, CA | Rockford, IL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 92.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,772 in Rockford | $106,642 in Merced |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,213/mo | $895/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,375 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,805 (IL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,220 | $47,120 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI |
Rent areas: Merced, CA MSA and Rockford, IL MSA. Metro areas: Merced, CA and Rockford, IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Merced | Rockford |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 70.1 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 89.4 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 92.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Merced, CA → Rockford, IL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.6%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$265/yr.
90 Strong offer
Rockford, IL → Merced, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.2%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$265/yr.
49 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Merced, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Rockford, IL is in Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Merced, CA to Rockford, IL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Merced, CA | Rockford, IL | Real change, Merced → Rockford |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $68,999 | −4.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $83,482 | −4.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $100,059 | −4.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $118,984 | −4.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $140,604 | −4.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Merced, CA | Rockford, IL | Rockford pay in Merced dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,120 | $64,200 | $68,464 (−31.6%) |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $107,640 | $114,790 (−13.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,420 | $75,260 | $80,259 (−0.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,620 | $80,930 | $86,305 (−34.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.