City comparison
Merced, CA vs San Jose, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Jose, CA are 12.4% higher than in Merced, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Merced, CA would need about $112,400 in San Jose, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,982 a month in San Jose, CA versus $1,213 in Merced, CA. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Jose, 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.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $133,060 in either. A transfer from Merced, CA to San Jose, CA changes real buying power by −11.0%, purely from prices.
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- San Jose, CA: price level 110.4 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Merced, CA | San Jose, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 110.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,361 in San Jose | $88,999 in Merced |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,213/mo | $2,982/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% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,220 | $84,050 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Merced, CA MSA and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Merced, CA and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Merced | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 211.9 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 156.7 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 110.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Merced, CA → San Jose, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.0%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
3 Weak offer
San Jose, CA → Merced, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Merced, CA to San Jose, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Merced, CA | San Jose, CA | Real change, Merced → San Jose |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $77,161 | −11.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $93,358 | −11.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $111,896 | −11.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $133,060 | −11.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $157,236 | −11.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Merced, CA | San Jose, CA | San Jose pay in Merced dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,120 | $102,860 | $91,544 (−8.6%) |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $213,110 | $189,665 (+43.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,420 | $121,700 | $108,311 (+34.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,620 | $216,740 | $192,896 (+46.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.