City comparison
Merced, CA vs Santa Maria, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Santa Maria, CA are 10.7% higher than in Merced, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Merced, CA would need about $110,700 in Santa Maria, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,746 a month in Santa Maria, CA versus $1,213 in Merced, CA. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, 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 Santa Maria, CA ($133,060 → $124,085), while prices change by +10.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −15.8% in real buying power.
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Santa Maria, CA: price level 108.8 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Merced, CA | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,708 in Santa Maria | $90,328 in Merced |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,213/mo | $2,746/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% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,220 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Merced, CA MSA and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Merced, CA and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Merced | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Merced, CA → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.7%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
9 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Merced, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Merced, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Santa Maria, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Merced, CA to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Merced, CA | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Merced → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $71,957 | −15.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $87,061 | −15.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $104,349 | −15.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $124,085 | −15.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $146,632 | −15.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Merced, CA | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Merced dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,120 | $101,030 | $91,258 (−8.9%) |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $158,290 | $142,980 (+8.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,420 | $91,610 | $82,749 (+2.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,620 | $137,360 | $124,074 (−5.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.