City comparison
Merced, CA vs Tucson, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Merced, CA are 1.4% higher than in Tucson, AZ. Someone earning $100,000 in Tucson, AZ would need about $101,400 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 $1,081 in Tucson, AZ. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Merced, CA and 17% in Tucson, AZ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,779 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Tucson, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −18.5% moving from Merced, CA to Tucson, AZ ($133,060 → $108,455), while prices change by −1.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −17.3% in real buying power.
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Tucson, AZ: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Merced, CA | Tucson, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,597 in Tucson | $101,423 in Merced |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,213/mo | $1,081/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,220 | $47,760 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Tucson-Nogales, AZ |
Rent areas: Merced, CA MSA and Tucson, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Merced, CA and Tucson, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Merced | Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 91.8 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 89.5 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Merced, CA → Tucson, AZ
Roughly even
Buying power +1.4%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,779/yr.
73 Strong offer
Tucson, AZ → Merced, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$2,779/yr.
64 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Merced, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Tucson, AZ is in Tucson-Nogales, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Merced, CA to Tucson, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Merced, CA | Tucson, AZ | Real change, Merced → Tucson |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $62,893 | −17.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $76,095 | −17.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $91,205 | −17.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $108,455 | −17.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $128,162 | −17.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Merced, CA | Tucson, AZ | Tucson pay in Merced dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,120 | $47,220 | $47,892 (−52.2%) |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $123,710 | $125,471 (−5.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,420 | $76,320 | $77,406 (−3.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,620 | $94,110 | $95,449 (−27.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.