City comparison
Merced, CA vs Savannah, GA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Merced, CA are 3.2% higher than in Savannah, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Savannah, GA would need about $103,200 in Merced, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,533 a month in Savannah, GA versus $1,213 in Merced, CA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Savannah, GA and 20% in Merced, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $503 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Savannah, GA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −20.0% moving from Merced, CA to Savannah, GA ($133,060 → $106,437), while prices change by −3.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −17.4% in real buying power.
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Savannah, GA: price level 95.2 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Merced, CA | Savannah, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 95.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,877 in Savannah | $103,224 in Merced |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,213/mo | $1,533/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,613 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,567 (GA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,220 | $47,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Merced, CA MSA and Savannah, GA MSA. Metro areas: Merced, CA and Savannah, GA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Merced | Savannah |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 86.0 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 88.6 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 95.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Merced, CA → Savannah, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$503/yr.
79 Strong offer
Savannah, GA → Merced, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$503/yr.
59 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Merced, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Savannah, GA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Merced, CA to Savannah, GA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Merced, CA | Savannah, GA | Real change, Merced → Savannah |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $61,722 | −17.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $74,678 | −17.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $89,508 | −17.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $106,437 | −17.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $125,776 | −17.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Merced, CA | Savannah, GA | Savannah pay in Merced dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,120 | $63,710 | $65,764 (−34.3%) |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $123,220 | $127,192 (−3.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,420 | $79,790 | $82,362 (+2.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,620 | $86,760 | $89,557 (−32.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.