City comparison
Merced, CA vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Merced, CA are 3.4% higher than in St. Louis, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in St. Louis, MO would need about $103,400 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 $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Merced, CA and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,308 a year higher in Merced, CA than in St. Louis, MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −18.0% moving from Merced, CA to St. Louis, MO ($133,060 → $109,137), while prices change by −3.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −15.2% in real buying power.
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- St. Louis, MO: price level 95.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Merced, CA | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,757 in St. Louis | $103,352 in Merced |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,213/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,220 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Merced, CA MSA and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Merced, CA and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Merced | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Merced, CA → St. Louis, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,308/yr.
79 Strong offer
St. Louis, MO → Merced, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.2%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,308/yr.
59 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Merced, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Merced, CA to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Merced, CA | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Merced → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $63,288 | −15.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $76,573 | −15.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $91,779 | −15.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $109,137 | −15.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $128,967 | −15.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Merced, CA | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Merced dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,120 | $60,650 | $62,683 (−37.4%) |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $129,030 | $133,355 (+0.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,420 | $78,880 | $81,524 (+1.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,620 | $83,180 | $85,968 (−34.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.